Two Chinese kindergarten teachers in Italy have been arrested after being caught violently dragging, beating and kicking children by hidden cameras.
Zheng Moli, 38, and Hong Pingping, 26, are said to have abused children aged between three and six on 41 different occasions last month alone by cameras installed by police in Tuscany, according reports from Italian media.
Ms Zheng, who allegedly got her degree in education in China, claimed such 'teaching' methods were 'normal' in her home country and 'nobody has told me not to beat children with sticks in Italy', according to Chinese sources.
One teacher is caught swinging a child in the air as she carries him in a classroom in Italy. Two Chinese kindergarten teachers in Tuscany have been arrested on suspicion of child abuse
Another kindergarten worker chases and beats a child with a mop in the surveillance footage
Ms Zheng was also quoted saying the purpose of using sticks and clubs was to get the attention of children.
Both Ms Zheng Moli and Ms Hong worked at a kindergarten run by the Marco Polo Cultural Association at the China Town in the city of Prato, reported La Repubblica Firenze.
They were arrested by police on January 31 and are facing prosecution. A third teacher, unidentified, has also been investigated, but was not arrested.
All of the young victims, said to be dozens of them, were of Chinese ethnicity, the report said.
The alleged abuse came to light after one of the kindergarten's teachers reportedly confided possible maltreatment at the centre to a parent, who later called the police.
Police launched an investigation in December and installed cameras in three classrooms.
The kindergarten is said to have a dozen classrooms in total.
It is unclear whether or
