Police in Quang Nam have taken into custody a daycare worker accused of violently abusing a 20-month-old child by hitting and inserting a plastic stick into the toddler’s mouth. The case has sparked widespread outrage after footage of the incident circulated on social media.

On the evening of April 12, the Quang Nam Provincial Police issued an emergency detention order and initiated criminal proceedings against N.N.U.L. (born 1995), a resident of Que My Commune, Que Son District. She is being investigated under Article 140 of the Penal Code for “maltreatment of others.”

Initial investigations reveal that L. operated the family-based daycare group "Con Cung", licensed by the Que My Commune People's Committee to care for up to seven children. On April 11, the facility was caring for toddlers aged 21 to 24 months, with L. directly in charge of the children’s supervision.

Around 11:00 a.m. that day, after feeding the children lunch, L. put them down for a nap. By 11:55 a.m., two children - N.P.D.K. and N.L.H.N. (both born in 2023) - woke up and began crying.

Unable to soothe them, L. became angry and began physically abusing the toddlers. Surveillance footage shows her shouting threats, hitting the children, and even inserting a plastic object into one child’s mouth to force them to stop crying.

That evening, the parent of N.P.D.K. posted the footage on Facebook and reported the incident to local police. The video quickly went viral, drawing sharp public criticism over the daycare worker’s cruel behavior.

At the police station, L. confessed to the abuse. Authorities confirmed that the children’s health is now stable.

As previously reported by VietNamNet, the video shows L. lifting the children by their legs, striking them with a plastic ruler, and inserting a stick into the mouth of a child only 20 months old.

Quang Nam police are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of the abuse and ensure accountability.

Ha Nam