Months of Violence at a Daycare: Toddlers Thrown, Beaten, One Broke His Arm

The State Prosecutor's Office filed two indictments against three defendants for abusing toddlers at the 'Smiles' daycare in Tel Aviv. Between September and December 2024, assistant Ortal Levi beat, threw, and pinched toddlers aged six months to a year and a half, and one of them broke his arm. The daycare owner Natalie Shahar and assistant Ronit Shira Ariel are also charged with assaults.

The State Prosecutor's Office today (Monday) filed two indictments in the case of abuse of toddlers at the 'Smiles' daycare in Tel Aviv. An indictment was filed with the District Court against the daycare owner, Natalie Shahar (42), and the assistant Ortal Levi (39), and another indictment was filed with the Magistrate's Court against the assistant Ronit Shira Ariel (63). According to the indictment, between September and December 2024, 21 toddlers aged six months to a year and a half were at the daycare. Levi is accused of creating an atmosphere of fear in the daycare, treating the toddlers as objects, throwing them onto mattresses, pulling them forcefully, pushing their heads, covering their faces with blankets, pinching, and beating them. One of the most severe incidents occurred on December 19, 2024, when Levi twisted a toddler's arm, breaking it. Despite this, no one at the daycare called for medical treatment or informed the parents, and only at Ichilov Hospital was a spiral fracture diagnosed. Shahar is accused of failing to act despite parental complaints and a warning from a trainee assistant, and she herself committed two acts of violence. The daycare operated without a business license. The prosecution requests an extension of the ban on the defendants working with minors.