Smacking Doco Proves Real Harm of Law to Families

Family First NZ has just released a new documentary on the anti-smacking law “MUM ON A MISSION” featuring the experiences of five more families. This is the sequel to the documentary from 2011 “MY MUMMY’S A CRIMINAL” which was viewed on YouTube over 12,300 times (despite being a 30 minute documentary) and 10,000 copies of the DVD distributed.

“In 2007, politicians changed the laws making it illegal for parents to use smacking as form of correction with their children. The referendum in 2009 revealed that 87% of New Zealanders opposed this move believing that it wouldn't solve genuine child abuse - which it hasn’t - but would lead to good parents being unjustly persecuted. To assuage these fears, Prime Minister John Key stated that ‘If I see good parents getting criminalised for lightly smacking their children for the purposes of discipline, I'm going to change the law.’ Here's the evidence,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Despite assurances to the contrary, families have been torn apart, accused of lying and dragged through the courts with disturbing results. One parent says ‘Good parents won’t be affected by the law… they’ll just be removed from being parents’ and another couple complain that ‘Of course CYF had to investigate… but they didn’t actually investigate anything’.”

“Since the anti-smacking law was introduced, the rate of serious child assaults has increased by more than 80%. This documentary lifts the lid on a flawed law whose real effect has been hidden by state agencies such as CYF and the Police, and by politicians,” says Mr McCoskrie.

There is also an accompanying website which contains more detailed information and examples www.protectgoodparents.org.nz. The website has additional resources for families including legal advice for parents; the experience of other parents not included in the documentary; why the ‘Nigel Latta’ review was flawed, misleading, and factually incorrect; the research on why smacking is not child abuse; the experience of Australia which has not banned smacking; and what the real causes of child abuse are.

Family First will be launching the “10 Good Reasons to Change the Anti-Smacking Law” which highlights the 10 families featured in the two documentaries.

Family First continues to call for a change to the law to decriminalise non-abusive smacking for the purposes of correction.

VIEW THE DOCUMENTARY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7chx3ifSLo

ENDS

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