WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT Aija Cernevica, 30, was removed from the care register indefinitely after she was jailed for the fatal attack on the animal at a park in North Ayrshire
A twisted carer who savagely beat and strangled a dog to death in front of children in a public park has been struck off the care register.
Aija Cernevica was banned from working in the profession on Thursday, May 7. The 30-year-old, from Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, is currently behind bars serving a three-year sentence for the horrific attack. She was jailed at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court after admitting the offence in January.
Police were called to the shocking incident following reports of a dog being attacked at Orr’s Trust Public Park in Beith in May last year. By the time officers reached the scene, the defenceless animal was found dead. The court heard how Cernevica repeatedly struck the dog, which was in her care, with her bare hands. She then kicked and stamped on it, bit it and grabbed it by the collar.
Cernevica proceeded to swing the animal over a fence before dragging and hurling it across the ground in front of traumatised children. She then straddled the dog, pinned it down using her body weight, clasped it by the throat and choked it to death. She carried out the appalling act while on bail reports the Daily Record.
The harrowing details of the incident were laid bare during a Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) hearing this week. The watchdog also disclosed that Cernevica had five blades in her possession when she launched the frenzied attack on the animal.
She was removed from the care register indefinitely. A statement from the SSSC reads: “Your actions caused the suffering and death of an animal in your care. You reactions are likely to have caused significant emotional harm to members of the public who may have witnessed your behaviour. You engaged in a course of violent and abusive behaviour over the course of a day, which indicates a pattern.
“Your behaviour is indicative of significant attitudinal and values issues which have the potential to place others at risk of serious harm. Your actions amount to a significant abuse of power and trust, albeit that trust was not derived from your registrable role.
“The behaviours which led to your convictions were very serious. There are significant public protection concerns arising from your behaviour. We consider the public interest to be high and that the reputation of the profession could be damaged as a result of your behaviour. A finding of current impairment is necessary to maintain confidence in both the social services profession and the SSSC in an effective regulator.”
It concluded: “A condition would not be appropriate because there are no conditions which could be placed on you which would address why your fitness to practise is impaired. The type of behaviour at issue is not the type of behaviour which Page 5 of 6 conditions would rectify. You are not currently working in the sector. A condition would not be workable or enforceable.”
