Wales to introduce smacking ban
Fiona Simpson
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
The Welsh government has passed a law banning people from smacking their children.
Wales is the second country in the UK, after Scotland, to introduce the ban. It is expected to come into force in 2022 after a bill was voted through by the Welsh assembly.
The bill was supported by Labour and Plaid Cymru AMs and backed by organisations including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s Cymru, Save the Children, Action for Children and Children in Wales.
It has been described as “historic” by deputy social services minister Julie Morgan who has been campaigning for the ban since 2015.
She said: “Physical punishment has no place here in Wales – there is no such thing as a loving smack and no justifiable reason for a big person to hit a little person. I’m delighted we have voted to change the law to help protect our children and future generations.”
Welcoming the announcement, Professor Sally Holland, children’s commissioner for Wales, said: “I’m so pleased, delighted and proud that Wales has joined dozens of other countries around the world to give children the same protection from physical punishment that adults enjoy. It’s never ok to hit a child - congratulations to the Welsh government and to members of the Senedd who have prioritised children's rights by passing this legislation.”
However, others have accused the Welsh assembly of “stepping into the private lives of families”.
Welsh Conservative AM Janet Finch-Saunders said she was not convinced that introducing the ban "right or fair" for Wales.
