Media release

20 May 2009

YesVote Coalition welcomes verdict in child “face-punch” case

The guilty verdict in the Christchurch case of a father who punched his child in the face is clearly the right outcome.

“This incident was trivialized as a case of ‘ear flicking’ to discredit the 2007 changes to Section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961, which provided parents a defence for physical punishment,” says Deborah Morris Travers, spokesperson for the YesVote coalition.* The coalition supports the section 59 reforms and is encouraging the public to show support for the law in the forthcoming referendum.

"Now that all the evidence has been heard in a court, this case can be seen for what it is - a serious assault on a child and not the "poster-boy" cause for opponents of the law as it was widely portrayed in December 2007.
The new child discipline legislation makes it clearer for judges and juries. Justice is no longer frustrated by the statutory defence previously available to parents.

"However, the Christchurch case demonstrates why it remains so important that New Zealand law clearly opposes violent parenting practices as not only unnecessary and ultimately ineffective, but also damaging for children and family relationships."

ENDS

*The Yes Vote coalition is a wide group of organisations supporting parents and the child discipline law. We are working to ensure retention of the law. The coalition includes Barnardos, Plunket, UNICEF, Save the Children, Te Kahui Mana Ririki, Women’s Refuge, Childspace, Parent Centre and others. www.yesvote.org.nz

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