A childcare worker has been found guilty of five counts of aggravated assault after parents became concerned when the children she looked after returned home with horrific scratches on their faces.
Kerri Louise Wharf, 27, has pleaded not guilty to 32 charges of abusing the children in her care in 2020 at GoodStart Early Learning in the north-eastern Perth suburb of Banksia Grove.
During her lengthy trial at Perth District Court, she heard that several families had complained that their children, all under the age of five, were coming home with severe scratches, PerthNow reported.
One parent told Nine News Perth that their child still had a scratch from his temple to his chin weeks after the incident.
The parent said they were still shocked and sickened by it, but that other GoodStart employees had tried to make things right.
“The staff at GoodStart have gone above and beyond. They have been proactive and made sure they support my child,” the parent said.
Initially, officers suspected another child had carried out the attacks, but then turned their attention to Wharf.
During her lengthy process more More than 50 witnesses, including children, testified and 270 pieces of evidence were submitted in evidence.
Childcare worker Kerri Louise Wharf, 27, has been found guilty of five counts of aggravated assault on the children in her care
According to prosecutor Laura Campbell, Wharf “had a tendency to scratch children in the face.” the ABC.
Ms Campbell said Wharf was ‘always present or in the vicinity of the child’ who suffered the injuries.
Wharf told police during questioning that the scratches were caused by other children or by playground equipment.
Mrs Campbell rejected this explanation as unlikely and unreasonable.
Kathryn Heslop, a lawyer at Wharf, said her client was made a scapegoat during a “flawed investigation” carried out by the nursery.
Ms Heslop said no one had seen Wharf scratch a child. However, she claimed she had become the target of the action as frustration among parents and staff grew. The centre manager needed someone to blame.
Magistrate Matthew Walton said the The prosecution in this case was “at times deplorable” and had proven only five of the 32 charges.
Wharf has been released on bail and is due to be sentenced in November, before which time a report on her psychological state must be prepared and submitted to the court.
Wharf worked at GoodStart Early Learning in Perth’s north-eastern suburb of Banksia Grove
He said the complexity of the process had implications for the handling of the case.
Wharf has been released on bail but faces sentencing in November.
A report on her mental state will be prepared before then and submitted to the court.