Johannesburg - The woman who allegedly shot the videos of three toddlers being assaulted in a crèche hasn’t been arrested, despite allegations that she attempted to blackmail the school’s owner.
In a series of WhatsApp messages, the woman, according to the owner of the crèche’s lawyer, Danie van Zyl, said she would teach the owner and the alleged abuser a lesson for accusing her of stealing.
It is alleged that she demanded money from the owner in exchange for her not releasing the clips on social media.
She was allegedly dismissed from the school.
“We had a meeting with the investigating officer and the prosecutor and we were told she would be arrested,” said Van Zyl.
However, yesterday afternoon police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said the police had not arrested her.
“We are not (arresting anyone) at this stage. We are investigating a case of assault against three minors,” Peters said.
The video went viral on social media on Thursday.
The incident apparently happened last year at the Ninnie Neurons nursery school in Carletonville.
In one of the videos, a little girl is repeatedly hit as she is instructed to clean up her own vomit.
Nursery owner Janine Edwards, according to Van Zyl, was unaware of the assaults.
“She has received a number of death threats on her cellphone both on Wednesday and Thursday.
"At the moment she is just trying to survive,” Van Zyl said.
The school has since been closed.
Meanwhile, political parties across the spectrum agree that more must be done to address violence at schools.
Al Jama-ah president Ganief Hendricks said abuse of toddlers at pre-schools needed to be addressed and wants committee members of these institutions to be jailed if they do not put measures in place to supervise them properly.
“While police must do law enforcement they must ensure 100% safety.
"We want legislation to jail Education Department officials if they don’t ensure safety,” he said.
ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley said: “Teacher-pupil ratios, a lack of discipline and super-liberal policies are largely responsible for the violence in our schools.
“A society that does not value discipline and does not respect life embraces violence.”
ANC Western Cape secretary Faiez Jacobs told the Saturday Star’s sister publication the Weekend Argus the party believed the level of violence at some schools had reached epidemic proportions.
“Apart from the influence of gangs and the destructive culture that they spread, we also have to end pupils fighting one another and recording and spreading these incidents on social media.
“Children must know that violence is not a game,” said Jacobs.