Europe Follows Lead

New Zealand is the first English-speaking country in the world to have banned smacking and Europe wants to follow suit. The New Zealand police were reassured when they won the right to apply the smacking law in 2007 with discretion, and there have been no silly prosecutions. The Council of Europe, a 47-country body, will launch a campaign in Croatia in mid-June to abolish corporal punishment. The campaign involves a flurry of debates, puppet shows, television spots, pamphlets in many languages and stirring calls to “raise your hand against smacking”.