Wales smacking ban ‘a clear example of state interference’

Wales’s upcoming ban on parents giving a light smack to their children is an example of gross state interference in families, campaign group Be Reasonable has said.

Spokesman Ciarán Kelly told TalkRadio’s Kevin O’Sullivan that the law amounted to “the state saying that they can parent our children better than we can”.

The law is set to come into effect on 21 March at an estimated cost of almost £4m.

Criminalising parents

His comments follow new guidance issued earlier this month that tells those working with children to call the police or social services if they see or suspect a parent has smacked their child – contrary to previous assurances.

Mr Kelly stressed: “This is an absurd law, and if it is applied in the way that the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government have said they want it applied, it’s going to criminalise who knows how many parents.”

He added: “What this law is going to do in Scotland and Wales is criminalise the mum who is just trying to discipline their kid, make them realise that there’s right from wrong and make them realise that there are safety things that they need to consider.”

Mr Kelly highlighted that there was a “huge gap” between what the Welsh Government had said on the ban and “the reality in the lives of ordinary families around the country”. And he stressed that although not every case would result in a conviction, families dragged through the judicial process would still be traumatised.

‘Genuine abuse’

He shared how there was also “real concern” that genuine cases of abuse would be compounded by “police and social workers having their already overladen desks piled high with the paperwork on loving mums and dads who just want to look after their kids and bring them up in an appropriate way”.

Mr Kelly added: “As a result, the genuine cases of abuse will be lost in this mountain of unnecessary paperwork.”

He emphasised that whilst people will have different views on whether or not to smack, “parents need to be trusted”, and that the state should “let them get on with it”.

A 2019 consultation on the proposed law found that two-thirds of individuals who responded opposed a change in the law.