Woman Accused of Abusing 2-Year-Old in Day Care
In Sioux Falls, SD, a 32-year-old city day care employee had her day care registration revoked and could be facing jail time stemming from an incident involving a possible case of child abuse against a 2-year-old boy. Aubrey Arin Schaaf was charged with one count each of abuse or cruelty to a minor, aggravated assault and providing or allowing day care services to be provided by a person convicted of child abuse or neglect. In the initial incident, the 2-year-old boy’s parents picked him up from the day care center and noticed a band-aid on his hand. Schaaf claimed she put it on to cover up a burn that the boy got when he touched a faucet running hot water. However, when the boy was taken to the doctor, medical professionals stated the burn was more likely from somebody holding his hand under scalding hot water. Schaaf faces a 30 year prison sentence if she is convicted of the abuse and assault charges.
As with a nursing home for elderly and disabled adults, a day care center is a place where people take their children in the hopes that they will be taken care of and no harm will come to them while they are away. Unfortunately, young children are just as susceptible to neglect and abuse incidents as the elderly and disabled. What is even more unfortunate is that in most cases, it is children at a very young age that are affected most because of their inability to defend themselves against a bigger adult.
Young children become victims of physical abuse and often suffer very serious injuries as the 2-year-old boy did in this incident. Sometimes children can suffer cuts and bruises, severely broken bones, or more serious internal injuries. In some of these cases, children lose their lives either due to the severity of their injuries over time or as a result of the physical abuse itself shortly after it occurs. In any case, children should never be the victims of any kind of abuse or negligent behavior from those in charge of taking care of them. The family of any child that is abused or neglected deserves to have justice in their favor and get compensation for injuries or damages associated with any abuse or neglect.
