Wales to make smacking children illegal

As of Monday, it is officially illegal to smack a child in Wales.

The Welsh government passed a new law this week removing the defense of “reasonable punishment” for striking a child from the law, giving children the same rights as adults when it comes to physical violence.

The new law, which took effect this week, means anyone who is caught using physical violence to discipline a child is subject to arrest and could be prosecuted for assault. The Welsh government says the new law is a “historic moment for children and their rights in Wales.” 

The government says it “wasn’t possible to give a set list of what makes up physical punishment” because it could be “anything where a child is punished using physical force.”

The Ministers wrote in the law’s introduction, “We want to protect children and their rights, to help give them the best start in life.”

Critics of the new law say it assumes politicians know better than parents, but a recent survey of 3,000 adults in England showed 64 percent think physical violence against children should be made illegal. The law applies to parents and anyone responsible for a child in their parents’ absence.