Canadian nanny Mandy Lam killed a seventh-month-old, after throwing the baby at a chair, in frustration at the behavior of two other children she was also caring for. Lam has been sentenced to two years and community service - teaching new mothers or child care workers how to prevent child abuse.

Lam is fluent in Cantonese, not English. Just as well, perhaps.

'It's like closing the barn door after the horse is gone,' says Louise Otteson, supervisor at the Grant MacEwan Demonstration Child Care Centre, when asked to comment on the community service order. 'I don't understand the motive behind it. Are the child-care workers supposed to talk to her and educate her or is she supposed to be educating us which would be ludicrous. I find it mind-boggling. There must be a better way for her to perform community service.'

Judy Dube, past-president of the Child and Family Resource Association which represents about 27 child-care centres, says there may be a point in putting a human face on child abuse, but she's not sure there is value in having someone who is struggling with English having to tell her story.

'I wish the judge would have sentenced the government to provide training and support for all people who work with children,' she said.

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at May 15, 2004 09:03 AM

---

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.rosenblog.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/293