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xMSPs back giving children equal protection from assault
Date: 4th June 2019
Category:
Protection from abuse or neglect, Family Environment and Alternative Care
On Tuesday 28th May, MSPs overwhelmingly backed in principle a bill to give children equal protection from assault. MSPs voted by 80 to 29 in favour of the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill, with only the Conservatives voting against, after its first stage debate.
The bill addresses repeated recommendations from the UN which has called for Scotland and the wider UK to give children equal protection from violence. It has been backed by the Scottish Government, which had previously opposed an outright ban. The Bill will now go to a Holyrood committee, where it will be considered in greater detail before MSPs are asked to give their final approval so it can become law.
The Children’s Commissioner has strongly also backed the bill by saying “…I think this is long overdue. The UK has been very slow to legislate against physical punishment. This is bringing us into line with our comprehensive legal obligations to protect children from violence in the home. We would really like to see the other parts of the UK join us.”
Read the article here