The Garderêve Nursery case revealed one of the most horrifying examples of neglect and cruelty, as what was supposed to be a safe haven for infants turned into a scene of torture. Today, the Lebanese judiciary played its part in delivering justice by issuing a ruling that holds those responsible for this crime accountable for their heinous actions.
Over a year following the disturbing revelation of child abuse at the Garderêve Nursery in Jdeidet Al-Metn, which significantly impacted public perception in Lebanon, the Lebanese judiciary has reached a verdict in the case. This decision provides closure for the children who were rescued from the hands of a caregiver who lacked compassion and kindness. Social media images showed the caregiver mistreating infants under one year old, inflicting severe punishments and forcefully feeding them, while the nursery owner passively observed without taking action. Additionally, the cleaning staff witnessed these events but failed to report the crimes.
In the case at the Mount Lebanon Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Rabih Al-Husseimi with advisors Agnès Maatouk and Sarah Barij, a majority ruling was issued. The defendants' actions were found to correspond to the criminal charge of "probable intent" to commit murder. Jenny Al-Helou, the caregiver, was sentenced to four years of hard labor in prison; Jumana Abu Saeed, a cleaning staff member who covertly recorded and shared the abusive videos, received a three-year sentence; and nursery owner Toni Mehanna was also sentenced to three years and had her civil rights revoked. However, Judge Rabih Al-Husseimi dissented from the criminal characterization of the case, contending that "probable intent to commit murder" was not applicable.
The court based its decision on the statements provided by the defendants during the initial investigation, conducted before the investigating judge in Mount Lebanon, the indictment authority and ultimately the criminal court itself. Additionally, the court relied on the evidence contained in the case file, which prominently featured 24 audio and video recordings made by Jumana Abu Saeed. These recordings spanned a period of five months leading up to the exposure of the case.
One of the videos depicted Jenny force-feeding an infant, forcefully pushing food into the child's mouth while slapping her face, disregarding the infant's distress. Another video captured Jumana threatening a child, saying, "Whoever ate the chocolate, I’ll make Jenny yell at and hit them." In an audio recording, Jenny was heard aggressively instructing a child to eat properly, while nursery owner Toni Mehanna could be heard saying, "Jenny, let those who don't want to eat be. Jumana, come here."
Various other videos showcased Jenny's actions of force-feeding, food shoving, slapping the children and causing them to choke.
The judgment emphasized that “Jenny resorting to violence and hitting the children on their heads while feeding them violated childcare standards and led to instances of choking, in addition to abusing them while changing their diapers, thereby endangering their lives.” It also noted that “Jumana Abu Saeed recording the abuse over nearly five months proves that she was aware of the violence inflicted on the children, particularly the infants, and refrained from rescuing them or reporting the incidents despite knowing the danger. In fact, she sometimes encouraged Jenny to get on with her criminal actions, as evidenced by a recording in which she told her during the beating of a child, ‘This one only understands through beating.’”
Regarding nursery owner Toni Mehanna, the judgment highlighted her negligence in hiring a qualified nurse, failure to activate nursery surveillance cameras despite prolonged absences and leaving children in the care of unqualified individuals like Jumana and Jenny. It underlined her awareness of Jenny's actions and the risks to children's lives, particularly regarding choking hazards. This demonstrated her complicity in endangering the children, enabling Jenny's criminal behavior, and implicated her as an accomplice in the crimes.
This verdict, eagerly awaited by many families, sends a strong message about the need for rigorous supervision of childcare facilities. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting all forms of abuse to protect the most vulnerable.
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