Annette King's fooling herself but not New Zealand.
from http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article.asp?aid=8743
by Nicola Brennan - Saturday, 17 March, 2007
THE police and courts will not see a drastic increase in their workload if the proposed smacking bill goes ahead, despite police concerns
stating otherwise, says Police Minister Annette King.
"I cannot believe the police and courts will see an increase," she said during a visit to Gisborne on Thursday.
However, Police Association president Greg O'Connor has said under current guidelines police would have no choice but to act on smacking complaints.
"We believe that under the policy as it exists it will be referred to as domestic violence."
Gisborne police already have their hands full with domestic violence complaints. If smacking complaints are added to that, they most
definitely will see an increase in workload, Gisborne police have told The Herald.
Ms King brushed aside those concerns, saying the only thing the bill would change was the defence people could use once a complaint was laid. Green MP Sue Bradford's bill removes the defence of "reasonable force" for the "correction" of children from section 59 of the Crimes Act.
Ms King fully supports the bill, saying removing the defence of "reasonable force" would make it easier to prosecute and charge people who abuse children. It was important for people to understand the facts.
"If you hit a child in the street now, you can be charged. It is against the law now to hit anybody. But if you are charged for that you can do a U-turn and get off because you have a defence called section 59."
Abusers had used that defence in the past to avoid prosecution for hitting their children with whips and other objects, she said. This
amendment would narrow down the defence a person could use.
"Everything else will be exactly the same up until the point a person is charged."
Ms King said the bill was "not out to get" people who disciplined their children. She believed the police would use their "common sense" when choosing whether to prosecute a case or not.
"What I have never been able to understand is why it is ok to hit a little child, but it is absolutely wrong to hit an 80-year-old person
with dementia."
Countries with "no-smacking" policies had much lower rates of child abuse and she hoped New Zealand would soon be one of those.
Opponents to the bill raised enough debate earlier this week to have voting postponed. The amendment is likely to be put to the vote in two weeks' time but it will not come up for its final third reading until after the Easter recess.
by Nicola Brennan - Saturday, 17 March, 2007
THE police and courts will not see a drastic increase in their workload if the proposed smacking bill goes ahead, despite police concerns
stating otherwise, says Police Minister Annette King.
"I cannot believe the police and courts will see an increase," she said during a visit to Gisborne on Thursday.
However, Police Association president Greg O'Connor has said under current guidelines police would have no choice but to act on smacking complaints.
"We believe that under the policy as it exists it will be referred to as domestic violence."
Gisborne police already have their hands full with domestic violence complaints. If smacking complaints are added to that, they most
definitely will see an increase in workload, Gisborne police have told The Herald.
Ms King brushed aside those concerns, saying the only thing the bill would change was the defence people could use once a complaint was laid. Green MP Sue Bradford's bill removes the defence of "reasonable force" for the "correction" of children from section 59 of the Crimes Act.
Ms King fully supports the bill, saying removing the defence of "reasonable force" would make it easier to prosecute and charge people who abuse children. It was important for people to understand the facts.
"If you hit a child in the street now, you can be charged. It is against the law now to hit anybody. But if you are charged for that you can do a U-turn and get off because you have a defence called section 59."
Abusers had used that defence in the past to avoid prosecution for hitting their children with whips and other objects, she said. This
amendment would narrow down the defence a person could use.
"Everything else will be exactly the same up until the point a person is charged."
Ms King said the bill was "not out to get" people who disciplined their children. She believed the police would use their "common sense" when choosing whether to prosecute a case or not.
"What I have never been able to understand is why it is ok to hit a little child, but it is absolutely wrong to hit an 80-year-old person
with dementia."
Countries with "no-smacking" policies had much lower rates of child abuse and she hoped New Zealand would soon be one of those.
Opponents to the bill raised enough debate earlier this week to have voting postponed. The amendment is likely to be put to the vote in two weeks' time but it will not come up for its final third reading until after the Easter recess.
posted by Andy at
12:48 AM
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