Campaigners call for Gibraltar to ban corporal punishment

THE Equality Rights Group (ERG) have launched a new campaign to ban all forms of corporal punishment, not just in schools but at home too.
While present government policy does already prohibit the use of physical punishment in schools and other institutions, Gibraltar law does not, according to the ERG. The group are urging the Gibraltar Government to take the step of adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which would make a ban obligatory rather than optional.
If this were to become law, disciplining a child at home through physical punishment would be against the law. However, the ERG claims that the issue of corporal punishment is an important one as it can contribute to violence in society.
“One look at the world we live in, where violence too often comes with a seal of legitimacy and approval, should tell us that by legitimising the use of aggression against children during their formative years, we contribute to inculcating violence over and above the value of dialogue and understanding.”
The Minister for Justice, Gilbert Licudi, has apparently told the group that the government is intending to bring the law in line with the UN Convention but the ERG say it is not clear whether this would include banning physical punishment against children at home.