The MacDoctor was wondering how many of the people who think that some forms of aggravated assault are too trivial to deserve 14 years imprisonment are the same people who think that a light smack for disciplinary purposes is child abuse? Or perhaps they would like to find grades of offending in indecent assault? Add [...]

This is Mellissa Anderson. She has been charged with assault for slapping a girl who did this to her daughter: The Herald is full of much pontificating about how parents must act like adults with bullies. Note that this lady merely slapped the 14-year-old who did this. She did not beat her up, attack her [...]

In September 2008 I wrote this: Unfortunately, what this [the repeal of section 59] does to parents is place them in a position of having no clear idea what is an acceptable smack. Worse still, it allows children to threaten their parents, thereby seriously reducing their authority, even if the child has no intention of [...]

The Herald reports today that 39 “minor acts of physical discipline” were brought to the attention of police, resulting in one prosecution and  37 warnings. The article goes on to say: Deputy Police Commissioner Rob Pope said the figures showed police continued to apply discretion in handling “anti-smacking” cases. Sadly, Mr. Pope completely misses the [...]

The Herald reports a 17 year old boy (who has name suppression for no apparent reason – go get ‘em, Whale) has been sentenced to 8 months home detention (on top of 4 months in custody – an effective 12 month sentence) for assisting the suicide of 16-year-old Ben Dowdell. I won’t be revisiting the [...]

Today the police have blithely announced that 12 children were killed through abuse (9 murders 3 manslaughters) over the past two years (June 2007 – June 2009). This is unchanged from previous years with an average of five children a year dying from abuse and 45 seriously injured. My immediate reaction to this was: The [...]

Has anybody noticed that the review of changes to section 59 of the Crimes Act has missed the point entirely? The review tries to make out that the police are not using the law to persecute parents who lightly smack their children. This is probably true (though I should add “at the moment” here because [...]

Apparently the case of the mother who beat her children with multiple implements is so horrible that some of the jury have been in tears. Though, as usual, this will be portrayed as yet another example of why we needed the repeal of section 59, it is, of course, nothing of the sort. Though I [...]

So now it is official. John Key has said that National will not support John Boscawen’s bill, not even to select committee. He has even said that he will not allow it to be a conscience vote, so he is taking no chances. That is, effectively, that. Parents who smack will remain criminals and will [...]

John Key claims that, with respect to the anti-smacking bill, the “law is working” He is right. The repeal of Section 59 was designed to criminalise using force to correct children It is working very well indeed. Most parents are now criminals. All the ones who have smacked their child within the past two years. [...]