Parents in Scotland face criminal charges for smacking their children, after controversial legislation on a ban was backed by Scottish politicians.
Despite public opposition and warnings of widespread investigations into families, MSPs voted by 84 to 29 in favour.
The Bill is scheduled to come into force in the coming months.
Ignore
Some MSPs challenged the legislation, with Oliver Mundell and Liz Smith among those to speak out.
Campaign group Be Reasonable, which is backed by The Christian Institute, expressed disappointment at the result.
“Incredibly, Scottish politicians have ignored the overwhelming response of parents, other experts and the wider public who comprehensively reject this dangerous social experiment.”
“Good parents will be prosecuted… MSPs were out of touch when they voted for the Bill.”
Members of the Scottish Parliament have just voted to ban smacking – making the country the first place in the UK to do so.
Was it the right move? @reasonablescot | @sueatkins pic.twitter.com/ADupLsVCXJ
— Channel 5 News (@5_News) October 3, 2019
Opposition
In March, results from the Scottish Government’s consultation revealed widespread opposition to the plan.
Of those who responded, 89 per cent oppose a ban, while just 11 per cent support it.
But support for the ban was inflated by campaign groups. When these responses were excluded, only 3 per cent were in favour with 97 per cent opposed.
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