Smacking grandparents case: Magistrate berates department who tried to remove nine-year-old boy

Daily Telegraph 29 July 2017
Family First Comment: Common sense still exists – in Australia!
“In a case that pitted common sense against political correctness, Children’s Court magistrate Tracy Sheedy said the grandparents had done nothing wrong. But she was scathing of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), which had tried to remove the nine-year-old after he was smacked and had his toys removed as a form of discipline.”
www.protectgoodparents.nz

LOVING grandparents who smacked their grandson have kept custody of the youngster in a landmark decision that has reignited debate over how to discipline kids.

In a case that pitted common sense against political correctness, Children’s Court magistrate Tracy Sheedy said the grandparents had done nothing wrong.
But she was scathing of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS), which had tried to remove the nine-year-old after he was smacked and had his toys removed as a form of discipline.
“Although (the grandparents’) parenting may not have been perfect or adhere strictly to FACS policies there was no cogent evidence that Tyson was at risk of significant harm, or indeed at risk of any harm, from his maternal grandparents,” Ms Sheedy ruled.

NSW is the only state or territory to spell out legally what kind of physical punishment is acceptable.

It is not against the law for parents to smack their child, although child abuse is illegal. Under the NSW Crimes Act, it is a defence if it is a parent or a person acting for the parent using physical force but it has to be reasonable, cannot be administered to the head or neck and cannot cause harm that lasts for more than a short period.
READ MORE: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/smacking-grandparents-case-magistrate-berates-department-who-tried-to-remove-nineyearold-boy/news-story/0ece80feb8c119a7e5c0e70d777a4983