Teen caretaker bites, assaults toddler at Noida daycare

Police said the complainant, a homemaker, lives with her husband—who works in the IT department of a UK-based multinational company—and their daughter in a Sector 137 housing society.

A 15-month-old girl was allegedly assaulted and bitten on her thighs by a 16-year-old caretaker at a daycare in Noida’s Sector 137 on Monday, police said on Friday. The incident came to light on Thursday when the child’s mother noticed the injuries and took her to a hospital.

CCTV footage showed a female caretaker slapping the toddler, pushing her, biting her on the thighs, and hitting her with a plastic bat.

Police said the complainant, a homemaker, lives with her husband—who works in the IT department of a UK-based multinational company—and their daughter in a Sector 137 housing society. The police said the suspect caretaker was taken into police custody.

“While changing the toddler’s clothes on Thursday, the mother noticed two marks on each thigh. Suspecting a skin infection, she took her to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed they were bite marks,” said Vinod Kumar Mishra, station house officer (SHO), Sector 142.

According to the SHO, CCTV footage from the daycare showed a female caretaker—hired about a fortnight ago—slapping the toddler, pushing her, biting her on the thighs, and hitting her with a plastic bat. The caretaker is a resident of Shahdara in Sector 142.

“When I confronted the caretaker and the daycare director, they misbehaved with me and verbally abused me,” the toddler’s mother alleged in her FIR. “When my daughter was screaming during the assault, no one came to help her.”

A case was registered Thursday night at Sector 142 police station under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (assault or use of criminal force), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police said the family had enrolled their daughter in the daycare two months ago for two hours daily, mainly for learning and play activities. “Three teachers and one caretaker—the suspect—are employed by the daycare director, Charu, who claimed she was unaware of the incident,” Mishra said.

When questioned, the caretaker allegedly told police: “I was playing with her and suddenly bit her without any reason.” However, a senior officer said the toddler’s persistent crying irritated the caretaker, prompting the assault.

Police said around 40 children are enrolled in the daycare and no previous assault complaints have been reported. “The investigation is underway, and no arrest has been made yet,” the SHO added.