Doorkeeper admits bathroom offense, police say

A man has been arrested after allegedly molesting a 2-year-old girl at a kindergarten in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, police said.

The 61-year-old, from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, admitted sexually assaulting the girl on Wednesday morning after taking her to a bathroom at the Mingyuan Kindergarten in Guangzhou's Haizhu district, sources with the district police authority said.

Liu Jieqi, head of the kindergarten, said the man had worked as a doorkeeper there for years.

He was dismissed shortly after the girl's parents reported the alleged harassment to the kindergarten, Liu said.

The girl, aged 2 years, 11 months, told her parents of the incident, which happened when she was taking a shower, according to the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Daily.

The girl's parents and her uncle went to the kindergarten and got in a fight with the doorkeeper after watching a surveillance video provided by the kindergarten.

"My daughter now doesn't dare go to the kindergarten. She is too frightened and always wakes up at night," her father said.

Liu said: "We have not received a formal report about the initial investigation by the police authority. But we will take responsibility for negligence in our work."

Following a visit to the girl's family on Sunday, the kindergarten again sent the teacher in charge of the girl's class and two more representatives to the girl's home on Monday night.

"We feel very sorry and we will assist the family and police in further investigation," Liu told China Daily.

The kindergarten hired two new security guards on Monday.

The girl's teacher said the student had never left her sight on Wednesday morning.

"She came to the kindergarten as early as she usually does on Wednesday. I don't know when and how such an incident could have happened," the teacher said.

Parents are fearing for their children's safety after learning of the report on Monday morning.

Guan Youwei, father of a 4-year-old girl studying at the kindergarten, said: "I met the doorkeeper every day, and he appeared to be kind and often said hello to us."

But he said he was very surprised to learn of the incident, and hoped the kindergarten will step up efforts to protect the safety of its children.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn