China investigates alleged kindergarten abuses, teacher suspended

HANGZHOU - Police in an east China city are investigating allegations that a kindergarten teacher beat, slapped, and humiliated young children in class, local officials said Friday.

The alleged abuse was exposed by a parent who suspected his child was mistreated at school. The parent put a voice recorder in his child's bag. In the 10-minute recording, a female adult can be heard shouting, followed by what sounds like beating and the cries of children.

The recording was uploaded to a local online forum Thursday and prompted comments from other parents whose children also attend the privately run kindergarten in Rui'an city, Zhejiang Province.

They alleged their children, aged 2 and 3, were locked in toilets, pricked by needles, forced to eat snot, slapped and verbally abused, according to the comments.

Officials with local education authority said Friday that the teacher in question had been suspended and the school has submitted video footage from its campus surveillance cameras for investigation.

The officials pledged to disclose the findings as soon as possible.