Consultation on the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill
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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 |
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CADRP-110 |
CADRP-110 |
About you
Individual
— No
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
The general public feel that children are sufficiently protected under the current law and that time and resources being used to criminalise loving parents in this way is not necessary or justifiable at this time. Police time and resources need to be directed towards the real abusers in society not used to investigate parents who seek to use discipline in a loving manner in order to help children understand the importance of boundaries. This is not the same as abuse.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
Current legislation is sufficient to protect children in society, it doesn’t need to be changed just enforced as it stands. There is no need to use already strained resources in this way. Parents should be left to make the decision regarding appropriate discipline within a loving parent - child relationship. There is no need for the Government to act further in this way. Excessive punishment of children is already legislated for.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
No
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
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(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
Yes, by removing the option of a light smack as a means of discipline will turn loving parents into criminals. It will disrupt families and cause many children who are happy, secure and settled pain and suffering as a consequence of seeing their parents criminalised.
By naming smacking as abuse it will enable real abusers to hide amongst the avalanche of new cases professionals have to deal with and child who are really at risk will be lost and remain unprotected because of a lack of resources and over stretched social workers will not be able to easily identify who needs their help.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
By using already tight resources in this way, police and social workers will be less likely to be able to properly research, and investigate the real cases of abuse. This law will harm child who really are at risk and money to be used to identify parents who smack could be better used by allowing greater resources to be made available to support the investigation and prosecution of those who abuse children day after day in our society.
(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)
How will the police deal with parents who are on holiday in Wales from England for example who are not prevented by law from smacking their children.
How will the police / social workers deal with the minefield of new cases. Are there enough professionals trained to deal with this or to counsel parents who have been investigated and are left traumatised because they have lost a job or custody of their children. Are there families available to take in the children who are removed from their own parents while investigations are carried out. Do we have sufficient foster carers trained and available for this work?
Enforcement of the current law is all that is needed to ensure the continued safe upbringing of children in Wales today.