Earlier this week, parents nationwide were horrified as TV news showed a teacher at Lukrak Nursery in Muang district snatching the crying Araya Rakthai by the hair, kneeing the girl's back twice and shaking her violently.

The girl's parents, Amnart and Nittaya, on Monday filed a police complaint against the nursery staff and submitted a VCD with the footage from a videocam phone as evidence. They said the videoclip was taken two months ago by another parent

Social Development and Human Security Ministry Permanent Secretary Wallop Ploytaptim said he had ordered the ministry's local office to investigate and officials had found the nursery had a licence but was not practising the methods outlined in the Child Protection Act of 2003. The ministry proposed to revoke Lukrak Nursery's licence and transfer its 17 children to nearby nurseries. The ministry also planned to contact the Phrae Child Protection Committee to invite all nursery operators to a meeting to seek measures for preventing recurrence of child abuse.

Ampika Khobroop, the teacher who allegedly mistreated Araya, insisted she would give testimony to police late yesterday and that

the clip was taken and passed on to the baby's parents by another nursery teacher, Wanida Srithongsuk, who had a personal conflict with her.