Child abuse at nursery near Lausanne: Worker arrested as warnings ignored
A nursery worker in Saint-Sulpice was arrested following a complaint by parents over alleged sexual abuse of a two-year-old. The nursery management is said to have previously ignored warnings.
Nursery worker in Saint-Sulpice arrested over abuse allegations
An alleged abuse case has shaken the municipality of Saint-Sulpice, around ten minutes by car west of Lausanne. According to reports by 24 Heures and 20 Minuten, a cafeteria worker at a childcare facility is said to have abused a young boy – whilst the nursery management is said to have ignored repeated warnings from parents.
In October 2025, the then two-year-old boy told his parents that an adult had kissed him on the mouth and stroked his head. The worker in question worked in the cafeteria of the facility and apparently had no special training in early childhood education – such training is not mandatory at cantonal level. The parents subsequently sought to speak with the nursery management, but it "did not seem to believe our little boy's words," the mother told 24 Heures.
In June 2026, the boy spoke again to his mother. He described how the man had touched his genitals and how he had seen the man's penis. The parents filed a complaint with the Vaud cantonal police on 7 July. The very next morning, investigators arrested the man.
During questioning, the worker admitted to becoming sexually aroused by a video containing child pornographic material. The judiciary classified the alleged acts as "very serious and disturbing". The suspect has since been remanded in custody. He is presumed innocent.
The case was preceded by a tip from the United States. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) had already discovered suspicious online activity by the man in 2024 and alerted the Swiss Federal Police. The Vaud cantonal public prosecutor's office, however, discontinued proceedings in March 2025 – partly on the grounds that it was a first report and the worker was "presumably not aware that he was acting unlawfully".
The case falls into a broader pattern: in western Switzerland, a total of 22 cases of sexual abuse in nurseries were recorded between 2020 and 2025. An investigation by 20 Minuten showed that abuse cases are causing uncertainty among many parents in Switzerland. Some postpone their children's entry into nursery care, whilst others avoid childcare services with male group leaders.
The nursery association kibesuisse is calling for more careful recruitment and monitoring procedures. "Nurseries are already highly sensitised to the issue of abuse today," kibesuisse co-president Franziska Roth told 20 Minuten. Nevertheless, the sector "has not yet reached its goal". Despite the shortage of skilled staff, "all options must be exhausted in order to curtail such cases through careful recruitment and monitoring procedures," Roth said. The association is in dialogue with politicians and authorities on the matter.
Source: 20 Minuten