Former child care employees accused of abusing sleeping children

SHOCKING footage has allegedly captured two women abusing young children while under their supervision at a child care centre.

The women were allegedly caught on camera picking up the children and throwing them back to the ground. Picture: iStock

TWO former day care workers in South Dakota in the United States are accused of picking up napping tots then brutally slamming them to the ground, authorities said.

Teresa Gallagher, 31, and Kenedi Wendt, 22, were arrested on Friday on charges stemming from footage that allegedly showed them assaulting sleeping children at Little Blessings Daycare in Sioux Falls, news station KDLT reported.

Authorities said they were notified on February 26 by a parent who reported their child complained about being abused at the day care.

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In a surveillance video obtained by authorities, the employees were reportedly seen stepping on the kids and knocking their heads around on multiple occasions between February 14 and February 23 during the class nap time.

They also were allegedly caught on camera picking up the children and throwing them back to the ground.

“There were times when their heads were banged around; they were yanked up by their arms,” Sioux Falls Police spokesman Sam Clemens told news station KELO.

Investigators said the students targeted in the nap-time assaults were three and four years old.

The day care centre reportedly fired both of the employees after reviewing the footage.

Police arrested Ms Gallagher and Ms Wendt on 25 counts of abuse or cruelty to a minor. They are each being held on $AU32,550 bond.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Former child care employees accused of abusing sleeping children