Doctors call for smacking children to be banned in England

Smacking is unlawful in England, except in cases where it amounts to a 'reasonable punishment'

Experts have said there is no evidence to suggest there are any positive effects on their wellbeing.

Currently, smacking is unlawful in England, except in cases where it amounts to a 'reasonable punishment'.

Now the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) wants that legal defence to be removed, using an amendment to a law which is currently making its way through Parliament.

The Department for Education said the government had no plans to change the law on smacking, but that it was committed to giving every child the best start in life.

Prof Andrew Rowland, RCPCH officer for child protection, said: "Now is the time for this Victorian-era punishment to go."

If enough MPs backed the suggested amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, tabled by Labour MP Jess Asato in January, then the defence of 'reasonable punishment' would be outlawed in England.

Currently, the situation on smacking children is different depending on where you are in the UK.

In Scotland and Wales, corporal - or physical - punishment is illegal, but in England and Northern Ireland the 'reasonable punishment' defence still stands.

In England, the defence is included in the Children Act of 2004, but smacking children has been permitted by law since 1860.

Scotland was the first UK country to ban corporal punishment in November 2020, followed by Wales in March 2022.

According to Prof Rowland, 67 countries around the world have already adopted smacking bans, with 20 more committed to doing so.

The government said it was 'looking closely' at the changes made in Scotland and Wales but had no plans to legislate at this stage.

A spokesperson said: "This government has prioritised significant reform of the children's social care system, driving better child protection and information sharing between education, health and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks."

Calls for a ban on smacking intensified after the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif.

Sharif was murdered in August 2023 after a 'campaign of torture' by her father and stepmother which lasted for two years.

Her father, who had fled to Pakistan after the murder, had phoned police in England claiming he had 'legally punished' his daughter before her death.

It is unlawful in England to assault a child causing actual or grievous bodily harm, or cruelty, but Prof Rowland said academic studies had shown children who were punished physically were at an increased risk of serious physical assault.

He said a complete ban on smacking would make it easier for the authorities to 'draw a line and say there are never any circumstances involved where physical punishment of children is ever legal'.

Other organisations, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, have also backed the amendment.