Sadistic nursery nurse spared jail

[dutchman]

'This evil woman should be struck off and given a custodial at the very least'



Telegraph readers slammed a judge’s decision to suspend the sentence of a sadistic nursery teacher who mistreated children.

Christine Button, who ran On The Button nursery in Dordon, Warwickshire, was handed a suspended jail term on November 30 after a cruel catalogue of misbehaviour.

A court in Leamington heard how Button would leave children in wet clothes, force them to sit on their own for hours and deliberately make them upset.

The 56-year-old, formerly of Everglade Road, Wood End, near Atherstone, pleaded guilty to four child cruelty charges and was handed a 12-month suspended sentence.

She was also ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, made subject to an overnight curfew for four months and made to pay £600 costs.

But readers, many of whom are parents, took to our social media sites to criticise the leniency of the sentence handed to Button.

The case has also been referred to the Attorney General, who could look to refer the sentence to the Court of Appeal for review.

Button ruled by fear at her nursery, the court heard.

She repeatedly targeted a boy aged around four – dragging him around, hitting him up to five times because he was crying and making him sit on the floor alone for more than two hours.

Another child, a girl of four, was made to sit at a table for two hours because she would not eat an apple.

A second girl, aged three, was forced to sit in her wet clothes for up to 45 minutes after she had accidents while potty training.

And a one-year-old girl was made to sit on the floor in Button’s office for more than an-hour-and-a-half, Warwick Crown Court was told.

The judge told her not to try to work with children and said the Disclosure and Barring Service may consider a formal ban.

Detective Constable Justin Brown said: “The parents of the victims put their trust in Button, she betrayed this trust and today she has been made to pay the price.

“This sends out a message that anyone abusing their position of trust in this way will be investigated and will be brought to justice.

“Button thought that her victims did not have a voice but today in court they were given a voice and we heard of the impact her behaviour had on them.

“We welcome the fact that she has been disqualified from working with children and won’t be in a position to treat them in the same way.”