Ariel Daycare Director and Caregivers Indicted for 400 Counts of Infant Abuse
State prosecutors filed a severe indictment against an Ariel daycare director and two caregivers for 400 counts of abusing 17 infants and toddlers. The charges detail systematic suffocation, binding, and force-feeding.
State prosecutors filed a severe indictment at the court against Natalia Kasilvsky, 37, director of the "Luchik" daycare in Ariel, along with two caregivers, Darina Chalufa, 37, and Anna Peglsky, 40. The defendants face charges covering 400 separate incidents of abuse and assault against 17 infants and toddlers aged six months to three years. Prosecutors have requested that the court keep them in custody until the legal proceedings conclude.
The indictment, submitted by attorney Yonatan Ayalon-Hirsch from the Central District Attorney's Office, details an extraordinary pattern of ongoing violence and severe abuse at the facility. According to the court documents, the defendants exploited their positions, the inherent power imbalance, and the absolute dependency of the children to subject them to physical and psychological torment on numerous occasions.
Systematic Abuse and Cruel Punishments
The charges outline a series of systematic and harsh methods used by the caregivers to control the children. Among them was the "suffocation method," which involved gripping the toddlers' heads and forcibly blocking their airways using hands, paper, or fabric while holding their necks to prevent movement. Caregivers repeatedly pressed children against mattresses until they choked, turned red, and struggled for air to the point of disorientation.
Another tactic described as the "binding method" involved aggressively wrapping children in blankets and sheets with their arms pinned to their sides, leaving them immobilized on their stomachs. In some instances, caregivers Anna and Darina force-fed bound infants by tilting their heads back, applying physical pressure to open their jaws, and aggressively shoving food into their mouths.
Confinement and Psychological Harm
Furthermore, the indictment highlights instances of confinement, where crying toddlers were locked alone in a dark room for extended periods as a form of punishment. Prosecutors also emphasized the psychological toll on the children, noting that many acts of abuse took place in front of other toddlers, exposing them to chronic distress as they watched their peers suffer.
The investigation was conducted by the Samaria YLAP special task force and the Ariel police station. In their detention request, prosecutors stressed the extreme danger posed by the defendants, highlighting the systematic betrayal of trust placed in them by parents.
