Ombudsman welcomes the decision to abolish the Defence of Reasonable Chastisement

Dr Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children has welcomed the decision by the Minister for The Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. James Reilly, to introduce an amendment to the Children First Bill removing the last remaining defence to slapping a child.

The Ombudsman reminded people that Ireland had been found to be in violation of the European Social Charter by failing to ban all corporal punishment against children and went on to congratulated Senator Jillian Van Turnhout “for her steadfast support for the amendment and championing the abolishment of the defence of reasonable chastisement through the Seanad”.

The amendment to the Children’s First act, ends corporal punishment in law and means children are now equal to adults, this according to the Ombudsman: “at long last places Ireland on an equal footing with the vast majority of European Member States”.

Referring to a plenary meeting due in early 2016, between the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Irish Government to examine Ireland’s progress with implementing its obligations under the UNCRC since 2006, the Ombudsman remarked that “he believed that in the context of preparing for this meeting, the UN Committee will consider the removal of the defence of reasonable chastisement as major step forward and a clear commitment by Government in the area of Children’s rights”.

ENDS

Notes for editor

Twenty-eight Council of Europe member states have prohibited corporal punishment of children in all settings of their lives including the family home:

Albania (prohibition achieved in 2010), Andorra (2014), Austria (1989), Bulgaria (2000), Croatia (1999), Cyprus (1994), Denmark (1997), Estonia (2014), Finland (1983), Germany (2000), Greece (2006), Hungary (2005), Iceland (2003), Latvia (1998), Liechtenstein (2008), Luxembourg (2008), Malta (2014), Netherlands (2007), Norway (1987), Poland (2010), Portugal (2007), Republic of Moldova (2008), Romania (2004), San Marino (2014), Spain (2007), Sweden (1979), TFYR Macedonia (2013) and Ukraine (2004).

Details of the legality of corporal punishment of children across the Europe and Central Asia (updated September 2017)

Issued on behalf of the Ombudsman for Children Office by Heneghan PR 

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• 21 October 2015
• Type: Press Release
• Topic: Child Protection