Britain should consider following Scotland and Wales in banning the beating of children, said the Commissioner for Children. Lady Rachel de Souza expressed her support for changing the law to give children the same protection against attacks as adults.
She told Times Radio: “I absolutely hate and am against all forms of violence against children. As children are more vulnerable than adults, I think we need to ensure that their rights are upheld.
Last month, Wales outlawed all kinds of corporal punishment in the country, including knocking, hitting, slapping and trembling.
The “ban on hitting” is known to have been introduced under the Children’s Act (Abolition of the Protection of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) in 2020 and marks the end of the protection of “reasonable punishment” by common law.
Parents or anyone responsible for a child while the parents are away can now be charged with criminal or civil charges if it is established that they have punished a physical youth in some way.
Critics of the change said it would criminalize parents, but the Welsh government said the move was about protecting children’s rights. This came after Scotland imposed its own ban in November 2020.
Before and as it still is in England and Northern Ireland, hitting a child was illegal, but such an attack was allowed as long as it was a “reasonable punishment”.
Whether protection is accepted depends on the circumstances of each case, taking into account factors such as the child’s age and the nature of the contact, including whether he or she left a red mark or was made with a fist or tool such as a cane or belt.
De Souza called on ministers to consider how the legislation passed through the Welsh parliament and said he would support the decision to follow suit. “Scotland and Wales have done that [banned the physical punishment of children]. So we learned a lot about what that would mean as it goes into law, “she said.
“I think we have a great opportunity to look at it, to watch it, because it’s built-in [in Wales]and I would support – of course from what I have seen so far – if our government decides to do the same. “
Although De Souza acknowledged that child protection was already enshrined in law in England, she admired the actions of the Scottish and Welsh governments, adding: “This is certainly something I think we need to consider.
Labor leader Sir Keira Starmer said earlier that the move should be reflected in England and Northern Ireland, calling it “the right thing to do”.
A study commissioned by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children found that more than two-thirds of adults in England believe it is wrong for parents or carers to physically punish their child, with 58% believing it is already illegal.
More than 60 countries around the world have passed laws against corporal punishment of children.
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