Zim Court Outlaws Smacking of Children In The Home

The Zimbabwean High Court has basically outlawed corporal punishment in a decision handed down this week.

: jimforest / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Justice Ester Muremba’s decision came in a case where a juvenile received moderate corporate punishment after being convicted of rape, according to ZBC.

It is not just in the penal system where it is unconstitutional by the way.The judgement also said section 53 of the new constitution also outlawed corporal punishment of kids by parents or guardians. That sections says no-one may be subjected to ‘physical or psychological torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’. (bet you didn’t read the document did you?)

So that means you essentially cannot spank your kids because it is explicitly illegal. This according to Justice Muremba includes moderate spanking.

The matter will now be referred to the Constitutional Court.

We think that the courts would do well not to introduce a summary ban on corporal punishment in the home but perhaps have limitations on it. The research on moderate and reasonable on smacking is inconclusive at best and we would be wont to experiment on a generation because of pop culture.

Children must be protected from abuse but a radical view to this would not be progressive.

Whatd do yo9u think? Do you think it should be outlawed? Leave your comments below.