Ex-daycare owner found not guilty on 12 assault charges

A New Brunswick judge has found former daycare owner Celine Lang not guilty of all 12 assault charges against her, saying actions that included tying a child to a chair and throwing water in the face of anotherwere reasonable.

CelineLang'stwo-week trial took place in August beforeJustice Jean-PaulOuellette, who delivered his ruling Tuesday in the Court of Queen's Bench inMoncton.

Langpleaded not guilty to10charges of assault against children, and one count each of assault andassault with a weapon for throwing a flower pot at a former employee of her Couve de la Valledaycare in Memramcook.

• Trial of ex-daycare owner accused of assaulting children wraps up

OuelletteruledLang's actions were reasonable when she tied a child to a chair and threw water in the face of another.

In the water incident, the judge, while recognizing an assault was committed,said Langtook control of the situation to calm the child, who was short of breath and had blue lips.

He added the Crown failed to show there were other options available to calm the child.

The judge said no assault occurred when Lang immobilized the children during nap time.

He also said the court believed her when she said she did not bite a child.

On the charge of assaulting an employee, Ouellettesaid the employee's testimony was not credible. He said there were contradictions inJoseDelarosbil'stestimony and her refusal to answer some questions.

Parents who attended court to hear the rulingleft crying.

Witnesses had testified about children being bitten byLang, tied to chairs, doused with water,and immobilized at nap time.

Langdid admit totying children to chairs to calm them down and throwing water in a boy's face to shock him out of a tantrum, but her defence lawyerargued she used "reasonable force" in dealing with children in her care.

Defence lawyer HazenBrien used Section 43 of theCriminal Code, known as the "spanking" law, to defend his client's actions.

Last year, the Liberal government vowedto repeal that law.

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