Helper's behaviour with a young kid

[Frenchy]

I was at Playtown this afternoon, and witnessed a helper being very rude with a little girl. The facts : the little girl (2.5 yo) was playing in the balls pool with a little boy (around 2yo), and their helpers watching them from outside (helpers apparently came together as friends/neighbours).
The little girl quicked the little boy, while playing. The little boy didn't cry or even reacted. Then the little girl's caregiver started to yell at her, pinched and slapped very hard her both hands. The little girl cried and cried and the helper took her out of the pool and forced her to say sorry, while the little girl couldn't even breath as she was crying so much.
I couldn't stop myself shouting "enough" when she was slapping her hands, but felt like it wasn't my job to do more, but how to do less ??
What would you allow your helper to do with your kids if they didn't behave properly (well, what's a bad behaviour for a 2.5 yo little girl ??). I guess we all have different levels of acceptance, but I felt like hitting was surely not the right answer. Did I overreact ??

 

[Shenzhennifer]

I've yelled at a couple of helpers in my time here for hitting little kids in public. I think it's crazy. Mind you, after one incident, I went in the playroom and told a mother what I had seen. The mother didnt seem to care and said, "oh yes, that boy is so naughty"...so there ya go....sigh...

 

[lesliefu]

doesn't sound right - but who knows what the mom has allowed the helper to do and if the behavior of the kid was just the tip of the iceberg...very hard to say with one incident. in those situations i normally just give the helper the evil eye and if she's embarassed i believe she wasn't give the "go-ahead" to do something like that - if she's not, then i just have to believe that her employer gave her the go ahead....bad assumption, but what else can i do?!?