Take #2: Smacktion!

photo credit: ersatzspeiche

Don’t be fooled by the Kiwi Party, they are in fact just the Destiny Party in rather poor drag. Which is blatently obvious by the fact that they’re next to Family Fist – right behind the attempt to repeal the anti-smacking law.

They’ve managed to scrounge up enough signatures to submit it again, mostly I hear by picketing events like rugby games. Fair enough, nothing wrong with a bit of democracy! It’s also likely the referendum will happen at the same time as the election, although I imagine that the Labour party will fight tooth and nail to postpone it – possibly to make it Nationals problem to deal with this shitfight.

First things first, remember that this bill wasn’t scraped through parliament with opposition, both major parties and a few minor ones voted for with a very small minority against. Do we not live in a representative democracy?

What I don’t get is why the religious fundies persist with their “Save the fetus, thrash the child” policy? Why is it the Family Fist’s and the Kiwi Parties that get behind this kind of stuff?

Anyway, Stuff has a look at things:

Kiwi Party Leader Larry Baldock handed over more than 390,000 signatures backing the call for a referendum on the question: “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand”.

No surprises here. Why not “Should ‘reasonable force’ be a valid defence in child abuse cases?”. We all know why, because they’re interested in pushing agendas, throwing weight around and “I told you so’s”. Unfortunately that has very little to do with actual justice.

Also some very interesting statistics in the article.

Material provided by the Government showed over the six months between September and April police attended 288 child assault incidents.

In the three months prior to this 111 incidents were attended.

Of the 288 incidents, 13 involved “smacking”,

This was up from three in the previous period.

None of the incidents resulted in a prosecution.

Of the 288 incidents, 69 involved “minor acts of physical discipline.

Of those only four resulted in prosecution, one did not proceed and was treated through diversion.

Obviously, statistics coming from the Government aren’t to be trusted. They don’t count the people who’s houses were invaded by armor clad stormtroopers and dragged off with bags over their heads.

From what I can divine out of those statistics, it says that 13 cases were attended by police that involved smacking. No prosecutions made for parents giving their child a “loving smack”. However, 69 incidents “minor acts of physical discipline”, i.e. low level child abuse, resulted in four prosecutions. Four prosecutions of child abuse that won’t be able to use the “reasonable force” get-out-of-jail free card. Sounds like it’s working to me.