THE Green MSP behind plans to bring in a ban on smacking children has accused a group opposed to the measure of using non-credible witnesses to back their campaign.
The Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) Bill, which has already cleared its first stage in Holyrood, would abolish the defence of “reasonable chastisement”.
Ultimately, it aims to give children the same protection as adults.
There is broad support for the change from the Scottish Police Federation, Barnardo’s Scotland, the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland.
But a group of conservative evangelical Christians has formed campaign group Be Reasonable, to oppose the proposal.
Over the weekend, Simon Calvert claimed to “have carried out forensic research into the 437 submissions made on the bill” and said they proved that the vast majority of the public thought “a smacking ban is unwanted, unwarranted and unworkable.”
“The public doesn’t like it and parents object to this latest intrusion into family life,” he added.
John Finnie said: “Given the indisputable evidence that physical punishment can be harmful to children I’m not surprised that all the credible witnesses support my proposal.”
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