Violence against children

Parents who smack their children too hard should not be jailed as long as the intention was to punish rather than injure, senior judges have recommended. The Sentencing Guidelines Council rules published last week state, 'Where an offender only intended to administer lawful chastisement and relatively minor injury resulted that was neither foreseen nor intended, custody will not normally be appropriate.' But Tony Samphier for the Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance called the guidelines 'a backward step, entrenching further legalised violence against children.'