Sydney Childcare Worker Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Young Children
A childcare worker in Sydney has been handed a prison sentence after being convicted of sexually touching a three-year-old boy and assaulting two other children at an unregistered home daycare. Anna Marie Gewargis, aged 33, received a sentence of two years and ten months in jail on Friday, with a non-parole period of 23 months.
Disturbing Incidents at Little Arias Daycare
Court documents revealed that over a month in 2024, Gewargis committed a series of offences at Little Arias, an unregistered daycare operating from a residence in the affluent Denham Court suburb of southwest Sydney. She was found guilty of all four charges brought against her.
In one particularly disturbing instance, Gewargis grabbed a three-year-old boy as he exited a bathroom and demanded, 'show me your penis'. When the embarrassed child moved away, she forcibly pulled down his shorts and underpants, grabbed his penis, and remarked, 'Look how big his penis is, can you imagine how big his father is?' Judge Maryanne Higginson noted that Gewargis then claimed she would marry the boy's father.
The court also heard that Gewargis attempted to make the same three-year-old eat a cucumber. Additionally, she was convicted of assaulting two other boys by gripping their arms and dragging them along the floor to a room, where they were left crying.
Witness Testimonies and Lack of Remorse
A colleague, who was understood to be a close friend of Gewargis, reported her behaviour to the children's parents. This witness stated she had seen Gewargis throw a child into a room 'like a dog'. A cleaner provided an affidavit describing similar conduct, noting that Gewargis dragged a child so frequently that the boy would 'just start crying... when he saw Anna'.
According to the cleaner's affidavit, Gewargis defended her actions by saying, 'This is my work …. I am the one that did the course and worked at different childcare centre(s) and this is how I was taught. You can't be compassionate with the children.'
Gewargis pleaded not guilty, asserting in her own affidavit that the claims were lies and alleging that her former friend, a key witness, was motivated by a personal vendetta. Her lawyer, Jason Sirrie, argued her behaviour was 'isolated' and 'spontaneous', requesting a community-based sentence due to her lack of significant criminal history or family support.
Judge's Condemnation and Appeal
Judge Higginson firmly rejected this, sentencing Gewargis to prison and stating her actions represented a betrayal of parents' trust. The judge emphasised, 'Moving children with force across a room and placing them into another room as punishment are very serious examples of common assault. This offending is deplorable, there's no doubt about it.' She noted Gewargis had shown no contrition and maintained her innocence.
Gewargis has lodged an appeal against both the guilty verdicts and her sentence. The matter is scheduled to return to court next week to set an appeal date.
