HPI
BERN, SWITZERLAND, July 9, 2003: When a father tried to take his estranged wife’s partner to court for hitting and kicking his children, the case was rejected, and the court pronounced that the mother’s partner (that is, her new boyfriend) has the right to punish her children. On appeal, the initial ruling was overturned and it was deemed that “the mother’s partner did commit a punishable act.” This particular case has forced the Swiss Federal court to clarify Swiss law. The Swiss Federal Court has warned parents that corporal punishment is not an acceptable means of disciplining children. It ruled that slapping, kicking and ear tugging are punishable offenses, if they are administered repeatedly or habitually. The vague part of the legislation is that it does not define “at which point violence is unacceptable as a form of punishment delivered by adults to children.” Seven years ago, a proposal was presented to the Swiss government to ban hitting of children. At that time, the government decided that violence to discipline children should not be punished. Childrens’ advocates hope Switzerland will follow in the footsteps of other European countries, such as Germany, that have laws in place to protect children from all acts of violence.