THREE Perth women have had their child care supervisor accreditation cancelled, and one faced a criminal charge, after a six-year-old autistic boy was smacked and had soap put in his mouth.
The incident happened on December 14 last year.
Kathleen Anne Burton was charged with common assault in circumstances of aggravation or racial aggravation.
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She pleaded guilty in Joondalup Magistrates Court and was fined $700, with costs of $100.
Another woman, Tammie Bell, had her accreditation cancelled after it was alleged she held the boy while Ms Burton put soap in his mouth.
A third woman, Jessica Peters, also had her accreditation stripped after she failed to intervene or report the incident.
A notice on the Department of Local Government and Communities website said: “the certified supervisor (Ms Burton) smacked and put soap in the mouth of an autistic six-year-old child as a form of punishment and lesson for behaviour management.”
Ms Burton failed to report the incident to the child’s parent, the approved child care provider or the regulatory authority.
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