Bengaluru nursery school horror: Capgemini not directly responsible, says Karnataka child rights group | Today’s news
The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) on Saturday said Capgemini, which is at the center of a case involving the “abuse” of toddlers at its childcare centre, “is not directly responsible for the incident” as it was run by an external service provider, Little Scholars.
The Commission’s comments come as a police investigation into the alleged abuse continues, with officials saying no final conclusions have been reached at this stage.
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The matter came to light when alleged videos showed carers at a Capgemini nursery threatening toddlers aged between two and three when they cried or caused a disturbance.
It was alleged they put the children in a front-loading washing machine, forced them to sit on a western-style toilet, sprayed water in their mouths with toilet spray, locked them in bathrooms and threatened them to keep quiet.
“Measures to strengthen child safety standards”
The KSCPCR said it is also recommending measures to strengthen child safety standards in day care facilities.
“These include mandatory pre-deployment training for all nursery staff, revised standard operating procedures (SOPs) and greater transparency through mechanisms such as parental access to CCTV footage. A formal communication on these recommendations will be sent to the government,” the commission said.
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She added that support measures for affected families are also being launched.
“Counseling sessions for parents are scheduled at NIMHANS next week. Children who are able to communicate will also
undergo age-appropriate interaction and counseling as part of the process,” the commission said.
Two arrested
So far, two persons, Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi, have been arrested in connection with the case.
“The role of other persons remains the subject of investigation. Officials are also checking compliance with applicable principles, operating procedures and other aspects of the operation of Little Scholars,” the KSČM said.
It was further informed that a team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has visited the day care facility in the last two days to review the matter and is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the government.
Capgemini offers work from home, consulting for employees
The IT firm previously said it had temporarily closed the center and extended the option of working from home to its employees as part of several measures taken to support affected families.
Capgemini said in a statement on Friday (July 4) that while authorities are investigating, “we have taken a number of concrete actions over the last 48 hours”. These include:
1. Immediate temporary closure of this childcare facility in Bengaluru pending review
2. Extend our full cooperation to the authorities to clarify the facts and support that those responsible are held accountable
3. Provide support to affected families, including access to helpline facilities, specialist advice through our employment assistance program and flexible work-from-home options
“At Capgemini, the safety and well-being of every child remains our highest priority. We are taking the situation reported at a Bengaluru day care facility run by an external provider, Little Scholars, with the utmost seriousness. Our first thoughts are with the children and their families,” the company said in a statement.
The company said it is providing all support to the affected family. “Our nursery providers are subject to strict due diligence and compliance checks,” he added.
“These facilities support our employees who entrust their children to these centers. It is an important part of our commitment to our team members,” said Capgemini.
“We are reviewing all of our daycare providers at all of our facilities in India. We are committed to taking decisive action to protect our employees and their families,” the company said.