A Fredericktown daycare worker has been charged with child abuse after allegedly breaking the leg of a child who was upset.
Jacqueline S. Duffel, 43, of Fredericktown, was charged in Madison County on Monday with second-degree assault and abuse or neglect of a child.
According to a probable cause statement from the Fredericktown Police Department, on Monday at approximately 2:50 p.m., an officer was dispatched to Kid's Corner Preschool on Chamber Drive to assist the Missouri Children's Division in an investigation.
Upon arrival, the officer was met by a Children's Division worker who said she was there for a report of an employee causing physical injury to a juvenile.
The report states the division worker was viewing surveillance camera footage that showed the child being dropped off at the facility on July 14 at about 7:10 a.m. The child was visibly upset and repeatedly attempted to make his way to the front door. Staff members stopped the child and tried to keep him at the back of the room. The report states staff members repeatedly drug him by one arm to the back of the room and placed him in the care of another staff member, identified as Duffel.
According to the report, the camera footage showed Duffel standing in the back left corner of the room when the child was placed in her care. Duffel allegedly held the child by the wrist with his arm extended above his head. The child was still visibly upset on the video, and Duffel was standing upright and not attempting to calm him verbally, according to police.
The report states Duffel repeatedly held the child by the wrist with his arm extended. The woman allegedly lifted the boy off of the ground and dropped him twice. At one point, the child was reportedly attempting to get away from Duffel. He was on the floor at Duffel's right side when the woman looked back at the child. She allegedly picked her right foot off the ground and stepped on the boy's right shin, visibly bowing his leg. At that time, the report states the child was visibly screaming in pain. He was then picked up by Duffel and placed on a bench located on the back wall.
The report states the child was still visibly squirming in pain and screaming; however, Duffel did not attempt to provide medical aid to the boy. He was reportedly not provided medical attention until another staff member came into work at about 7:30 a.m. and heard the child repeatedly saying, "ouch" and holding his leg. The other employee then said they should call someone to get him because his leg was swelling. The report states the other staff member sat on the ground with the boy until an adult came to get him.
It is noted in the police report that the child is in the custody of the State of Missouri and has a legal guardian. The boy's guardian came to pick him up.
At approximately 6:10 p.m. on Monday, Duffel met with an officer and the Children's Division worker at the Madison County Sheriff's Office. The division worker questioned Duffel about the reported incident on July 14. Duffel said she had been a childcare worker for approximately 12 years and has received all appropriate training required by the state for her position.
The report states Duffel told the interviewers that when the child was dropped off at the daycare, he was attempting to leave the room and "throwing a fit." Duffel reportedly explained that when other staff members have an issue with the boy, they bring him to her. The division worker asked Duffel if she put the child on the ground, and she reportedly said that she did. The worker asked the woman how she did that, and she allegedly replied, "I'm sure, forcefully."
After the Children's Division was finished with their investigation, an officer asked Duffel to wait until the division workers left the room. The woman was then read her Miranda rights and was asked if she was willing to answer any questions from the police. She reportedly declined to answer any more questions and was placed under arrest.
The following morning, an officer went to the guardian's residence to speak with the guardian about the incident.
The report states the guardian was unaware of the full situation. The officer informed her of the findings and the surveillance video. The child's guardian told the officer the boy was taken to Madison Medical Center for an evaluation, where it was discovered that the child had a right leg fracture. The guardian then took the boy to Children's Hospital in St. Louis, and doctors found that he had a spiral fracture on his right leg (tibia) and was placed in a cast to be worn for four weeks.
Duffel was booked at the Madison County Jail, and a $50,000 cash-only bond was set in the case. The woman was arraigned in court on Wednesday and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. She is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday for a counsel status hearing.
