Safety · Hennigsdorf
Two kindergarten caregivers leave three-year-old girl behind in Hennigsdorf, police investigate
Two female caregivers at a kindergarten northwest of Berlin left a three-year-old girl in the building and went home. Police are investigating a suspected breach of the duty of care, and the city, as operator of the kindergarten, is also reviewing the case.
AI text based on reports by N-tv and Der Tagesspiegel. Published . How it is made
For membersThe first 30 seconds for everyone. Synthetic voice (AI).
In brief
Two female caregivers at a Hennigsdorf kindergarten left a three-year-old girl in the building and went home, according to police. Police are investigating a suspected breach of the duty of care.
The mother arrived around 16:45 on 22 October to find the kindergarten locked and discovered her daughter on a climbing frame on the grounds.
A construction worker from a neighbouring site entered through a fence opening, looked after the girl and waited with her for her mother. Police estimate she was alone for less than half an hour.
- 22 OctMother finds the kindergarten locked and her daughter on a climbing frame
- 4 NovPolice announce an investigation into a suspected breach of the duty of care
What happened
Two female caregivers at a kindergarten in Hennigsdorf, northwest of Berlin, left a three-year-old girl behind and ended their working day. Police are investigating on suspicion of a breach of the duty of care. The girl's mother came to collect her within official opening hours on 22 October, around 16:45, and found the doors locked. Searching the grounds, she found her daughter on a climbing frame. Police said the kindergarten was due to stay open until 17:00.
Rescue on the grounds
A construction worker from a neighbouring site had entered the kindergarten grounds through an opening in the fence. He looked after the girl and waited with her until her mother arrived. Police estimate she was alone for less than half an hour and that nobody was hurt. The caregivers apparently assumed all children had already been picked up. Police have not established why the girl was overlooked, and a police spokesman suggested she may have hidden for fun or sat behind a play structure.
Police response and background
Police summed up the outcome in a single sentence.
“Everything has turned out happily.”
The mother has filed a complaint with the police. The city, as the carrier of the kindergarten, is also examining the incident. Court proceedings have previously taken place over allegations of endangering child welfare against then-caregivers at the same kindergarten, with the allegations dating from 2019 to 2023.
Ask about this text
Sources and context
- N-tvThe Day: Caregivers forget three-year-old in daycareDer Tag: Erzieher vergessen Drei-Jährige in Kita - Polizei ermittelt · original in German
- Der TagesspiegelReview of duty of care: Daycare staff forget three-year-oldPrüfung der Fürsorgepflicht: Kita-Personal vergisst Dreijährige - Polizei ermittelt · original in German
- Places
- Berlin
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support Pollar