One smack on bottom. Off to court. As predicted.
Man admits assaulting a child after smacking 4-year-old son on bottom
Stuff co.nz 9 October 2018
Family First Comment: As we predicted would happen… fortunately the judge had more common sense than politicians.
But here’s the underlying issue.
“The man had met with the mother of the child in a restorative justice meeting, where the woman said she wanted the man to accept responsibility for his actions, and learn a more positive way to interact with their children.”
#TimeToChangeTheLaw
www.ProtectGoodParents.nz
A Picton man smacked his 4-year-old son on the bottom “in punishment” for crying and screaming.
The child had no injuries. Police charged the man with assaulting a child.
The man, who cannot be named, was looking after his children on December 11 last year, when he put his hand over the 4-year-old’s mouth to quieten him, before smacking the boy’s bottom once, a police summary of facts said.
The man admitted assaulting a child and appeared at the Blenheim District Court on Monday for sentencing.
His lawyer, Nick McKessar, applied for a discharge without conviction, saying the consequences and “stigma” the man would face as a result of a conviction were more severe than the crime warranted.
The man had met with the mother of the child in a restorative justice meeting, where the woman said she wanted the man to accept responsibility for his actions, and learn a more positive way to interact with their children.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/107691954/Man-admits-assaulting-a-child-after-smacking-4-year-old-son-on-bottom
Parents worse off without smacking – Duncan Garner
NewsHub 10 October 2018
Duncan Garner has admitted he thinks smacking should be in a parent’s disciplinary arsenal after refusing to use it on his own children.
Smacking has been back in the headlines recently after a Picton father was taken to court for smacking his child.
The man, who has name suppression, was discharged without conviction after a complaint was laid against him by the child’s mother.
He has been charged under a 2007 amendment to the Crimes Act that removed the legal defence of “reasonable force” for parents prosecuted for assaulting their children.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2018/10/parents-worse-off-without-smacking-duncan-garner.html
Smacking prosecution likely result of ‘over energetic’ police officer – expert
NewsHub 10 October 2018
A legal expert has defended the anti-smacking law after a Picton father was taken to court for smacking his four-year-old.
The man, who has name suppression, was discharged without conviction after a complaint was laid against him by the child’s mother.
Massey University professor of humanities Chris Gallavin said the case was likely an oddity, but does not represent a failure of the 2007 amendment to the Crimes Act.
The amendment removed the legal defence of “reasonable force” for parents prosecuted for assaulting their children.
“Here at most we have perhaps an over energetic police prosecution sergeant or the officer in charge who has pushed through a prosecution which has resulted in a discharge by way of without conviction,” he said.
READ MORE: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/10/smacking-prosecution-likely-result-of-over-energetic-police-officer-expert.html 
