Parents accuse nursery of making children ill

PARENTS of one-year-old twins have taken their case against a public nursery school to Madrid Provincial Courts.

The couple reported the nursery in Torrelodones, Madrid, to Collado Villalba courts for mistreatment on the advice of the Education Board after discovering that the children were sent outside in the cold without coats.

The family’s lawyer explained that the boys’ mother had noticed that the twins were ill more often than usual since they had been at the nursery. After seeing a doctor and being kept at home the boys recovered, yet repeatedly fell ill again as soon as they went back to the nursery.

The parents found this strange and started to wonder what was going on and why the children always became sick at nursery.

The mother made a surprise visit to the nursery and found that the children were sitting outside in the cold while their coats and warm clothes were hanging up indoors.

Although she spoke to the headmistress and expressed her shock that the children were not wrapped up warmly before being sent outside, the headmistress allegedly claimed the mother was exaggerating.

The boys’ mother decided to complain to the council and Social Services and was told to speak to the Education Board, where an inspector encouraged her to report the incident to the courts.

The couple meanwhile borrowed money from relatives and moved their sons to a private nursery.

The report was made at the end of March and an appointed lawyer applied for, yet the Collado Villalba judge ordered the case to be filed, claiming the report did not accuse anyone in particular.

The parents were not notified until more than one month later and the lawyer was not assigned until June 17.

Although the lawyer applied for the case to be reopened and asked for documents including the boys’ medical histories, the judge rejected the application.

The couple has therefore appealed to Madrid Provincial Courts and the family awaits news of the next step.