Nursery Worker Jailed for Three Years for Cruelty Towards Children in Her Care
A “callous” nursery worker, Rebecca Gregory, has been sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of child cruelty. The 25-year-old was employed at Tiny Toes Children’s Day Nursery in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where she verbally abused, manhandled, and threatened children in her care.
Gregory’s abusive behavior was uncovered during an investigation into the manslaughter of a nine-month-old baby, Genevieve Meehan, by a colleague, Kate Roughley. Roughley, 37, was sentenced to 14 years in May for strapping Genevieve face-down to a beanbag for 90 minutes as “punishment” for not sleeping enough, which led to the baby’s death, told BBC.
As part of the investigation, detectives reviewed CCTV footage that revealed Gregory’s “deplorable” actions against four young children. The footage showed Gregory verbally abusing the children, forcefully pushing one child’s head down, roughly throwing another onto the floor, and even threatening to kick a child in the head.
Greater Manchester Police described some of Gregory’s actions in detail: “On one occasion, she swaddled a child so tightly that he couldn’t move. Seeing the child was visibly distressed, she forced his head down, preventing him from moving. On another occasion, she swaddled a child tightly, telling him to ‘f***ing go home.’”
The police further stated, “Rebecca Gregory’s interactions with the children were callous and lacked proper care and compassion. She failed to adhere to the correct, safe, and expected requirements and responsibility that comes with caring for young children.”
Following Gregory’s sentencing, Detective Constable Natalie Pettit commented on the severity of the case: “Gregory knew her actions fell far beyond the correct professional standards but failed to take any reasonable steps to protect these children. This was a harrowing investigation that uncovered several unacceptable behaviors and practices at Tiny Toes Nursery.”
Karen Tongue, a specialist prosecutor with the CPS, added, “The way she spoke to them was truly appalling, and I have been shocked and saddened by the wilful ill-treatment of the children. Parents should be able to place their children in nurseries knowing they will be nurtured and cared for. Cases such as this damage the trust between parents and carers. Gregory must now face the consequences of her actions.”