RYB abuse claims moving forward

A Beijing preschool teacher accused of using needles to "discipline" her students has been formally charged by prosecutors, it was announced Tuesday.

The suspect, identified only as Liu from Hebei province, was detained on Dec 29 in the city's Chaoyang district after an investigation into alleged child abuse at the Xintiandi branch of RYB Kindergarten.

Parents alerted police on the night of Nov 22 after learning their children — all age around 3 — had needle marks on their bodies. The children had also been given unidentified white pills, they said.

The preschool is part of RYB Education, a publicly listed company.

The allegations prompted a citywide safety inspection of kindergartens in November, and the Beijing Education Commission ordered all institutions to make immediate improvements and reduce potential risks.

Zheng Xinjian, director of juvenile prosecutions for the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said in addition to working with local authorities, the SPP will assist other major departments to conduct safety checks on RYB-affiliated kindergartens to help the schools establish a routine safety system.