Consultation on the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill

Tystiolaeth i’r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar gyfer craffu Cyfnod 1 Bil Plant (Diddymu Amddiffyniad Cosb Resymol) (Cymru)

Evidence submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee for Stage 1 scrutiny of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill

CADRP-557

CADRP-557

 

About you

Individual

1      The Bill’s general principles

1.1     Do you support the principles of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill?

— No

1.2     Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 1.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

As a parent I believe that smacking can be a loving and effective form of discipline.  My parents loved me and smacked me when appropriate and I now appreciate how constructive it was in my upbringing.  I worry that if this bill is made law then parents who love their children and would never think of doing them harm may be labelled as abusers, their reputation destroyed and their families traumatised.  I also worry that parents who smack their children will be soft targets for police to investigate while serious cases of abuse which require time and money will be neglected and vulnerable children will suffer as a result.  I think the person most committed to the child's welfare and the best person to decide what is good for them is almost always the parent because of the special bond there is between them and this right and parental autonomy should not in a free society be eroded but rather encouraged.  I fear that this bill, if made law will do the former and not the latter.

1.3     Do you think there is a need for legislation to deliver what this Bill is trying to achieve?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

No I don't feel there is any need for new legislation.  It will only widen the net of cases to be investigated.  There are frequently cases of serious child abuse in the news and police and social services are already stretched.  Budgets are being pared back to the bone and it is difficult to see how the State can possibly deal with serious child abuse if resources are diverted to investigate smacking cases and criminalising loving parents.   The law as it stands seems good as it already prohibits excessive punishment.  The common sense approach seems to be to enforce the current law better and commit resources to implementing it rather than diluting it's effectiveness thereby putting vulnerable children at risk of serious harm.

2      The Bill’s implementation

2.1     Do you have any comments about any potential barriers to  implementing the Bill? If no, go to question 3.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

-

2.2     Do you think the Bill takes account of these potential barriers?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

-

3      Unintended consequences

3.1     Do you think there are there any unintended consequences arising from the Bill? If no, go to question 4.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

I think that if the bill becomes law it is inevitable that there will be cases in the news of loving parents being criminalised and otherwise stable families being seriously disrupted and children traumatised by the investigations and perhaps even taken into care.  I think this would be a human tragedy and far worse for a family than any perceived consequence of a smack.   Also a  criminal record blights a person's life for years and sometimes for life.  If this bill becomes law, it seems inevitable that parents committed to the good of their children and not their harm will have to face the prospect of that outcome.

4      Financial implications

4.1     Do you have any comments on the financial implications of the Bill (as set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum)? If no, go to question 5.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

-

5      Other considerations

5.1     Do you have any other points you wish to raise about this Bill?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

-