Daycare Worker Admits Slapping 2-Year-Old, Said 'I Had to Slap Him' Because He'd Spit on Her: Police

Mar. 15, 2025

Joyce Perkins.Photo:Johnson County Sheriff’s Office

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office

A daycare worker in Indiana faces charges after authorities say she admitted to slapping a child at work.

Police who responded to the scene reviewed surveillance footage they claim shows Perkins hitting a 2-year-old child. Perkins allegedly told investigators, “I had to smack him because he spit all in my face,” the documents state, per Fox 59. Perkins further claimed she wasn’t trying to hurt the child, noting how the child “didn’t cry or nothing.”

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It’s unclear if Perkins has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf. PEOPLE has also reached out to the Johnson County Prosecutor’s office for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com