Childcare worker who grabbed, dragged boy ‘breache
A teenage childcare worker who grabbed and dragged a three-year-old boy after he became “frustrated and agitated” has been told she had breached her position of trust.
Hayley Kelleher, 18, pleaded guilty to assaulting the child while she was working at Jenny’s Nursery and Early Learning center in Bathurst, in central west NSW, on July 11.
According to the agreed facts, Kelleher was trying to put a group of children to bed for an afternoon nap when the child repeatedly refused to go to bed.
The court document said Kelleher asked a senior colleague for help but was ignored and Kelleher decided to move the child’s bed away from other children.
“Despite her ongoing requests for help, (she) received no support from other educators and became increasingly frustrated and agitated,” the document said.
Kelleher grabbed the boy’s right arm and lifted him off the ground, then dragged him to a different bed ten feet away.
“(Kelleher) released the victim near the mattress, then grabbed her by her right arm again and placed her on the mattress,” the document said.
The account of events was changed to say that Kelleher put the child to bed, instead of the allegation that Kelleher “threw” the child, which was the first allegation that police made public.
While police thought the force Kelleher used was “excessive”, the boy was injured and his sweater was torn.
The attack was captured on security cameras and the child’s mother reported the incident to the education directorate and the police.
Kelleher was dismissed soon after.
Judge Gemma Slack-Smith convicted Kelleher of common assault at Bathurst Local Court on Wednesday.
He decided to release him on probation for 18 months.
“He had a responsibility and was in a position of trust,” Ms Slack-Smith said.
The young woman confessed to her actions during her police interrogation in mid-September.
“(Kelleher) expressed remorse and stated that he did not intend to harm the victim or damage her clothing,” the court document said. It was said.
“He admitted to being frustrated and agitated by the lack of assistance in caring for the child.”
The behavior of childcare companies and employees has been under the spotlight for much of 2025, following a long-running investigation into the sector by the ABC’s Four Corners programme.
In a statement to the media, the Bathurst center said it operates a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any form of abuse, neglect or inappropriate behaviour.
“We worked closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that all necessary steps were taken and that the concerns of the family concerned were addressed respectfully and comprehensively,” the center said.
