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Hugh Jass
UK News

New Zealand Christian group says Scotland should not ban smacking

New Zealand-based Family First NZ is fighting similar legislation there, saying it aims to "decriminalise parents who use light smacking for correction of children".

According to the Scotsman publication, Bob McCoskrie, the national director and co-founder of Family First NZ, claimed the move will criminalise good parents and harm children.

He said: "A decade on from the passing of the controversial anti-smacking law in New Zealand, the law has maintained its very high level of opposition, but most significantly the law has had a 'chilling' effect on parenting, and rather than tackling rotten parents who are abusing their children, it has targeted well-functioning parents".

The Scottish Government has declared it will support a member's bill brought forward by Green MSP John Finnie to scrap the legal defence of justifiable assault for parents who physically discipline their children.

This will add Scotland to the list of 52 countries worldwide where physical punishment of children is outlawed.

The Scottish Government has said physical punishment can have "negative effects on children which can last long after the physical pain has died".

However, Mr McCoskire feels differently, stating: "The politicians and anti-smacking lobby groups linked good parents who smacked their children with child abusers, a notion roundly rejected - and still rejected - by New Zealanders.

"We would warn Scottish parents that this law will harm and rip apart families."

The Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act (known as the anti-smacking bill) was passed in New Zealand in 2007.

 
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