A day care worker in Sydney, Australia, is facing assault charges after allegedly abusing two children. Jayendra Shahi reportedly slapped two toddlers across the face with an open palm while they were supposed to be napping. A motive for the attack hasn’t been given, but thankfully it was caught on the day care facility’s CCTV. This gave police concrete evidence to back up the claims made by a parent. Shahi was quickly arrested and questioned before appearing in court for a bail decision.
The man, who is a Nepali national, had his passport revoked and can no longer work around children. But there may be a reason he’s behaving the way he is.
Police didn’t waste time investigating the claim.
Officers from the Bankstown Police Area Command received a report of a child care worker assaulting two young boys on April 24, 2026, the New South Wales Police Force announced in a news release.
The incident took place the day before around 1 p.m. Police were told that the day care worker allegedly slapped two boys, ages 3 and 4, in the face with an open hand. He was arrested April 25 at 7:45 a.m. and charged with common assault.
There was no way to lie about what he did.
The incident took place at the Panania Montessori Academy during nap time, 9News reported. According to police, CCTV footage shows Shahi slapping the children. A parent was the one who reported the incident to authorities.
“They are pretty serious examples of common assault, as they were committed in circumstances where the accused was meant to care for children in a childcare centre, and whilst two of those children were sleeping, aged three and four, he slapped them across the face,” acting Judge Amanda Coultas-Roberts said when Shahi appeared in court on April 26, 7News reported.
He’s really been struggling lately, his wife claimed.
Shahi reportedly got his diploma in early childhood education last year, according to 7News.
The Montessori Academy released a statement confirming Shahi has been fired.
“We take any concerns of this nature extremely seriously, and the safety, health and wellbeing of children is always our highest priority,” the statement read. “As soon as we became aware of the allegation, immediate action was taken including standing down the educator and reporting the matter to the police and regulatory authority. We have since terminated the educator’s employment.”
In an affidavit obtained by 7News, Shahi’s wife claimed his mental health was deteriorating after a series of family tragedies. During court, his lawyer, James Moore, shared that Shahi needs mental health support.
As a condition to his bail, Shahi, who has lived in Australia for seven years and is working toward permanent residency, was ordered to surrender his passport. He also isn’t allowed inside any child care centers.
