Eight people stand trial for Shanghai daycare center child abuse scandal

SHANGHAI - Eight people stood trial Wednesday on suspicion of child abuse in a daycare center in Shanghai.

The court heard that during August and November 2017, seven of the suspects rubbed wasabi on toddlers at daycare center or sprayed liquids on them.

The suspects were also accused of having pushed, dragged and patted the children. Another suspect, identified by surname as Zheng, who was in charge of the center, demanded the children obey the other suspects.

Zheng also asked the other suspects to avoid surveillance, according to the Changning District People's Court in Shanghai.

Video footage of the suspects appearing to abuse children in a Ctrip day care center went viral in November last year, leading to an intense public outcry.

Leading travel agency Ctrip established the center, run by a third-party organization, in 2016, to help employees solve babysitting problems for children under three years old, the minimum age for public kindergartens.

The court will announce its verdict at a later date.