Police have detained a female teacher in connection with allegations of child abuse at a Beijing kindergarten, CNN reports. According to authorities, the 22-year-old was detained on Saturday.
READ MORE: Police Investigate Molestation Claims at Beijing Kindergarten
A second woman was also arrested for "rumor mongering.” Liu, 31, was taken into custody for posting false information on social media, claiming that military soldiers were involved in molesting children at the kindergarten. According to police, the information Liu posted was not true.
Police began their investigation last week, following claims of child abuse at the school. Multiple parents claim that their children – aged 2 to 6 – were sexually molested by teachers. Needle marks were reportedly found on the children’s bodies, and there are also allegations that the victims were drugged with unidentified white pills.
At this point, police have not yet confirmed the allegations of sexual abuse, but the investigation is still underway.
The kindergarten is run by RYB Education Inc, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in September. RYB operates 1,500 preschools and kindergartens in 300 Chinese cities.
RYB posted on its official account on Saturday, apologizing to parents and children and stating that they have fired both the detained teacher and the principal of the kindergarten.
"There was serious breach of duty in our management," the statement said. "We must bear responsibility, deeply reflect, and thoroughly investigate and rectify [our operations]."
RYB stated it will continue to cooperate with police and plans to provide counseling to the victims and improve safety and supervision at the facility.
The allegations come after videos began circulating earlier this month showing teachers at a Shanghai kindergarten beating and force-feeding young children, South China Morning Post reports. The accusations have caused widespread criticism of China's booming child education industry.
[Image via CNN]
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