The magistrate said that he strayed from the prescribed minimum sentence of 10 years because the 40-year-old was remorseful and intended on apologising to the families of the children.
FILE: Parents gathered outside the Ninnie’s Neurons Nursery School where a teacher was filmed beating children. Picture: EWN
JOHANNESBURG – A Carletonville caregiver who was found guilty of assaulting minors under her care has been sentenced to five years imprisonment.
Nellie Senwametsi, who was captured on video beating children at the Ninnie’s Neurons Nursery School where she was employed, was convicted of one count of aggravated assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm on three minors.
Magistrate Jan Steyn handed down the sentence in the Carletonville Magistrates Court where he declared that Senwametsi was unsuitable to work with children and her name would be entered onto the children offenders list.
The magistrate said that he strayed from the prescribed minimum sentence of 10 years because the 40-year-old was remorseful and intended on apologising to the families of the children.
Three videos, which surfaced in April last year, sparked nationwide outrage as they showed the former caregiver abusing the children by repeatedly slapping them across the face and on their heads, while on one occasion forcing another to clean up her own vomit.
She also grabbed a minor by the collar and threw him onto a carpet.