Employees report aggression and insults against 4-year-old boy at school

Employees of the Ferreiros School Center (CEF), in the municipality of Amares, district of Braga, reported today in court the mistreatment and insults allegedly committed by a former operational assistant against a 4-year-old boy.

In the first trial session, which takes place at the Amares Court, the defendant, now 67 years old and who worked, between September 2022 and April 30, 2023, for the company that managed the canteen services, was not present, citing health reasons.

The defendant, who on May 1, 2023 stopped working in the canteen, by decision of the company hired by the municipality of Amares to manage meal services, is accused of a crime of mistreatment.

Two witnesses, who at the time of the events worked with the defendant and reported her to a superior, told the court that the former colleague “hit and pulled the child’s ears”, adding that they saw her calling the boy “nigger” on several occasions.

According to these employees, the defendant had “inadequate and aggressive behavior and treatment” towards the child, which was also confirmed today by the person in charge of the canteen, who said she had received complaints against the then employee who provided support during lunch time.

The CEF coordinator at the time of the events admitted to the judge that she had received complaints against the then employee, stressing, however, that the defendant had always “peremptorily denied everything”.

This person in charge stated that she “did not see a situation like this happening” of mistreatment in “her School Center”, stating that the facts were never communicated or transmitted to her, including by the minor's mother, with the seriousness that is stated in the accusation.

The minor's mother said today that she never suspected the mistreatment nor did her son tell her anything unusual, until the day she found out that the child was being called “black”.

Later, he said that his son told him that the employee in question “pulled his ears off”.

The court admitted, with the opposition of the defendant's lawyer, photos that the mother took of her son when he had black marks on his face and body, admitting that she never associated the injuries with the aggression, until she became aware of the alleged mistreatment.

The victim was born in November 2017 and had been attending the Ferreiros School Center since September 2020.

“Between September and October 2021, the defendant pulled the minor's ears with force on several occasions, as well as tied him by the arms, shaking him, and slapping him (…)”, states the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) indictment, to which the Lusa agency had access.

The MP says that at the beginning of the 2022 school year, in the CEF playground, “the defendant addressed other work colleagues, saying to them: 'that black guy from…', referring to the victim”.

Another of the episodes described in the indictment is said to have taken place between January and April 2022, when the defendant was “putting the boys she was responsible for in line, to take them outside, with the offended minor leaving the line, wanting to get ahead of the other boys”.

“Displeased with the behavior of the offended minor, the defendant gave him a strong push, so that he would go to his place, causing him to hit his back against the piece of furniture where the trays and bread are placed. The minor immediately began to cry, and the defendant tried to calm him down,” the accusation states, adding that the incident was reported to a superior by another employee.

According to the MP, in May 2022 the defendant addressed the child and said: “get out of there, black man”.

“The defendant acted with the purpose of physically and psychologically punishing the minor, who she knew was only 4 years old at the time, violating his human dignity and jeopardizing his emotional and affective balance, his harmonious physical and psychological development and effectively causing pain, likely to affect his development”, claims the MP.

Employees of the Ferreiros School Center (CEF), in the municipality of Amares, district of Braga, reported today in court the mistreatment and insults allegedly committed by a former operational assistant against a 4-year-old boy.

In the first trial session, which takes place at the Amares Court, the defendant, now 67 years old and who worked, between September 2022 and April 30, 2023, for the company that managed the canteen services, was not present, citing health reasons.

The defendant, who on May 1, 2023 stopped working in the canteen, by decision of the company hired by the municipality of Amares to manage meal services, is accused of a crime of mistreatment.

Two witnesses, who at the time of the events worked with the defendant and reported her to a superior, told the court that the former colleague “hit and pulled the child’s ears”, adding that they saw her calling the boy “nigger” on several occasions.

According to these employees, the defendant had “inadequate and aggressive behavior and treatment” towards the child, which was also confirmed today by the person in charge of the canteen, who said she had received complaints against the then employee who provided support during lunch time.

The CEF coordinator at the time of the events admitted to the judge that she had received complaints against the then employee, stressing, however, that the defendant had always “peremptorily denied everything”.

This person in charge stated that she “did not see a situation like this happening” of mistreatment in “her School Center”, stating that the facts were never communicated or transmitted to her, including by the minor's mother, with the seriousness that is stated in the accusation.

The minor's mother said today that she never suspected the mistreatment nor did her son tell her anything unusual, until the day she found out that the child was being called “black”.

Later, he said that his son told him that the employee in question “pulled his ears off”.

The court admitted, with the opposition of the defendant's lawyer, photos that the mother took of her son when he had black marks on his face and body, admitting that she never associated the injuries with the aggression, until she became aware of the alleged mistreatment.

The victim was born in November 2017 and had been attending the Ferreiros School Center since September 2020.

“Between September and October 2021, the defendant pulled the minor's ears with force on several occasions, as well as tied him by the arms, shaking him, and slapping him (…)”, states the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) indictment, to which the Lusa agency had access.

The MP says that at the beginning of the 2022 school year, in the CEF playground, “the defendant addressed other work colleagues, saying to them: 'that black guy from…', referring to the victim”.

Another of the episodes described in the indictment is said to have taken place between January and April 2022, when the defendant was “putting the boys she was responsible for in line, to take them outside, with the offended minor leaving the line, wanting to get ahead of the other boys”.

“Displeased with the behavior of the offended minor, the defendant gave him a strong push, so that he would go to his place, causing him to hit his back against the piece of furniture where the trays and bread are placed. The minor immediately began to cry, and the defendant tried to calm him down,” the accusation states, adding that the incident was reported to a superior by another employee.

According to the MP, in May 2022 the defendant addressed the child and said: “get out of there, black man”.

“The defendant acted with the purpose of physically and psychologically punishing the minor, who she knew was only 4 years old at the time, violating his human dignity and jeopardizing his emotional and affective balance, his harmonious physical and psychological development and effectively causing pain, likely to affect his development”, claims the MP.

Employees of the Ferreiros School Center (CEF), in the municipality of Amares, district of Braga, reported today in court the mistreatment and insults allegedly committed by a former operational assistant against a 4-year-old boy.

In the first trial session, which takes place at the Amares Court, the defendant, now 67 years old and who worked, between September 2022 and April 30, 2023, for the company that managed the canteen services, was not present, citing health reasons.

The defendant, who on May 1, 2023 stopped working in the canteen, by decision of the company hired by the municipality of Amares to manage meal services, is accused of a crime of mistreatment.

Two witnesses, who at the time of the events worked with the defendant and reported her to a superior, told the court that the former colleague “hit and pulled the child’s ears”, adding that they saw her calling the boy “nigger” on several occasions.

According to these employees, the defendant had “inadequate and aggressive behavior and treatment” towards the child, which was also confirmed today by the person in charge of the canteen, who said she had received complaints against the then employee who provided support during lunch time.

The CEF coordinator at the time of the events admitted to the judge that she had received complaints against the then employee, stressing, however, that the defendant had always “peremptorily denied everything”.

This person in charge stated that she “did not see a situation like this happening” of mistreatment in “her School Center”, stating that the facts were never communicated or transmitted to her, including by the minor's mother, with the seriousness that is stated in the accusation.

The minor's mother said today that she never suspected the mistreatment nor did her son tell her anything unusual, until the day she found out that the child was being called “black”.

Later, he said that his son told him that the employee in question “pulled his ears off”.

The court admitted, with the opposition of the defendant's lawyer, photos that the mother took of her son when he had black marks on his face and body, admitting that she never associated the injuries with the aggression, until she became aware of the alleged mistreatment.

The victim was born in November 2017 and had been attending the Ferreiros School Center since September 2020.

“Between September and October 2021, the defendant pulled the minor's ears with force on several occasions, as well as tied him by the arms, shaking him, and slapping him (…)”, states the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) indictment, to which the Lusa agency had access.

The MP says that at the beginning of the 2022 school year, in the CEF playground, “the defendant addressed other work colleagues, saying to them: 'that black guy from…', referring to the victim”.

Another of the episodes described in the indictment is said to have taken place between January and April 2022, when the defendant was “putting the boys she was responsible for in line, to take them outside, with the offended minor leaving the line, wanting to get ahead of the other boys”.

“Displeased with the behavior of the offended minor, the defendant gave him a strong push, so that he would go to his place, causing him to hit his back against the piece of furniture where the trays and bread are placed. The minor immediately began to cry, and the defendant tried to calm him down,” the accusation states, adding that the incident was reported to a superior by another employee.

According to the MP, in May 2022 the defendant addressed the child and said: “get out of there, black man”.

“The defendant acted with the purpose of physically and psychologically punishing the minor, who she knew was only 4 years old at the time, violating his human dignity and jeopardizing his emotional and affective balance, his harmonious physical and psychological development and effectively causing pain, likely to affect his development”, claims the MP.