Latest news with #corporalpunishment
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Boy, 10, 'beaten to death' by his own headmaster during assembly in front of entire school over 'minor issue'
A 10-year-old Pakistani schoolboy has died after he was brutally beaten with a rod by his headmaster over a 'minor issue'. The heartbreaking incident took place at a private school in the Khyber district in northern Pakistan on Friday during a school assembly. Khyalmat Khan was critically injured and taken to hospital where he later died, according to local media. Headmaster Waqar Ahmed used a stick to hit the young student on the head, neck, face, and back, police said. Mr Ahmed was arrested and remains in police custody. Khyber District Police Officer Rai Mazhar Iqbal condemned the violent attack in a statement. 'Violence against children and women will not be tolerated under any circumstances', he said. 'No one has the right to misuse the noble role of a teacher to commit such brutality. 'A teacher is a spiritual guardian, but this man has dishonered the sanctity of the profession', he added. The tragic even has sparked outrage in the local community, prompting parents to demand that local authorities impose a ban on corporal punishment at schools. The shocking incident comes after a historic bill was passed in the Pakistani city of Islamabad in 2021 banning violence against children. The move came amid a number of high-profile cases of children being badly beaten and even killed, in schools, religious institutions and workplaces. In January 2021, an eight-year-old boy was beaten to death by his teacher for not memorising a lesson. In June 2020, a girl, aged eight, who was working as a maid in Islamabad, was beaten to death by her employers after she let their pet parrots escape.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Outrage as DC teacher brings back CORPORAL PUNISHMENT after girl, 14, took too long to wash her hands
A Washington, DC, school teacher has been accused of using corporal punishment on a student after she took too long to wash her hands. The 14-year-old eighth-grade student at Sousa Middle School claimed her teacher struck her with a yardstick on May 13. Her mother, Janel Doy Johnson, told FOX 5 she was washing her hands after a science project, and when the bell rang at 3:15 p.m., the unnamed teacher hit her bottom with the stick and told her to hurry up. The girl also alleged that another student gave the teacher a brush to give to her, but instead, he put it in his pocket. She claimed the teacher did that so she would reach into his pocket and grab the brush. Afterward, the student reported the incident to her school counselor, and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) launched an investigation. '[I'm] devastated, hurt, furious and kind of scared. I wanted to press charges, for one, and get a report,' Johnson told the local news station. 'So I can have something done and justice done for what he's doing to these children in the school.' A copy of the police report obtained by showed the teacher justified his action by claiming he was trying to move her along. 'An 8th-grade student stated that while she was washing her hands at the sink in lab class, her teacher touched her on her left leg and thigh area with a 36-inch ruler,' the report said. '[The teacher] stated that he did it for her to hurry her along to leave the classroom for the day.' Sousa Middle School principal Brittany Green-Pascal sent a letter home to parents confirming the investigation. 'I am writing to make you aware that an allegation of corporal punishment has recently been made against a Sousa staff member,' the letter said. 'DCPS treats any allegation of employee misconduct with the greatest importance.' Green-Pascal said the unnamed teacher is on leave and will not return until the investigation is complete. The student's outraged mother has taken to social media to call for accountability from the school. 'I'm a heartbroken and outraged mother. My daughter and several other young girls at her school have come forward with serious accusations of being inappropriately touched by a staff member. I am demanding answers, action, and safety for our children,' Johnson said. 'What happened at the school was not 'discipline.' Let's be clear—this was sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct by a trusted adult. 'My daughter is a well-mannered, respectful child who knows right from wrong, and she bravely spoke up when something didn't feel right. 'I will not allow this to be downplayed or dismissed as anything less than what it was. No child deserves to be made to feel unsafe at school. Our kids should be protected, not silenced.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
DC mom says teacher used corporal punishment on daughter
WASHINGTON - A D.C. mother is outraged after she says a middle school teacher used corporal punishment on her daughter in Southeast. D.C. Public Schools is investigating the allegation of corporal punishment that allegedly happened at Sousa Middle School. A 14-year-old eighth grade student says that she was washing her hands after a science project around 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. She says a male teacher invaded her personal space, told her to hurry up and the girl says he hit her with a yard stick on the butt because she wasn't washing her hands fast the girl says another student gave the teacher a brush to give to her. The teacher allegedly put the brush in his pocket and the girl claims he did that in hopes of her reaching into his pocket and grabbing the brush. The girl told the school counselor and DCPS launched the investigation. Sousa Middle School's principal sent a letter home to parents saying, in part, "I am writing to make you aware that an allegation of corporal punishment has recently been made against a Sousa staff member. DCPS treats any allegation of employee misconduct with the greatest importance." And the letter goes on to say "while I am unable to provide further details as these allegations are being investigated, I can confirm that the staff member is out of the building on leave and will not report while this matter is under review." DCPS has not identifed the teacher. The mother also filed a report with D.C. police and she wants them to charge the teacher. We will continue to follow this story and bring you updates as they become available.
ABC News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Queensland premier says government shouldn't tell parents how to discipline kids
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says the government shouldn't tell parents how to discipline their children amid a push to ban corporal punishment and smacking. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is currently reviewing criminal defences, including one that allows parents to use "reasonable" force to control a child. In a consultation paper it released earlier this year, the QLRC proposed repealing the criminal code's domestic discipline defence or limiting its scope. Government won't give parenting 'advice' Asked about the issue on Thursday, Mr Crisafulli indicated his government would not make any law changes and insisted the state shouldn't tell guardians how to parent. "We are ensuring that there are assault laws in place to prevent people being assaulted," he said. "But to be crystal clear, the state government will not be telling parents how to provide discipline and structure and support to a child. "It is not for the state government to provide advice to a family about how to provide discipline and structure." Call for law change The QLRC consultation paper notes the domestic discipline defence allows parents to use force that is "reasonable in the circumstances". It also points out the measure provides a "complete defence" to an offence where force is used. Photo shows Corporal punishment Australia's failure to outlaw the smacking of children is a United Nations human rights violation, a team of legal scholars and psychologists has found. "This includes common assault but could also include more serious offences such as assault occasioning bodily harm or choking," it says. "Each Australian jurisdiction has a similar defence, either in legislation or at common law. "The domestic discipline defence raises issues about the ability for parents to discipline their children and the rights of children to be protected from all types of violence and abuse." University of Queensland Associate Professor Divna Haslam has authored a submission to the review that has been signed by groups like Bravehearts and Triple P International. The submission recommends the abolishment of the domestic discipline defence and calls for a statewide education campaign to outline the "harm" of physical punishment. The submission argues a full repeal of the defence would allow for clear messaging that "violence is never acceptable". Divna Haslam says there is no evidence that hitting children improves their behaviour. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato ) Dr Haslam said corporal punishment was associated with negative outcomes such as poor mental health and increased aggression. "There's decades of research that shows that domestic discipline or corporal punishment … is harmful to children," she said. "It's ineffective. It actually doesn't work to reduce problem behaviours for children moving forward and it violates children's rights." 'Clearly a hypocrite' Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles, who is a father of three, said he had never smacked his children. Opposition Leader Steven Miles says Mr Cirsafulli is a hypocrite. ( ABC News: Kenji Sato ) He also accused Mr Crisafulli of being hypocrite, pointing to "He says on one hand that he won't tell parents how they should parent their child," Mr Miles said. "On the other hand, he tells health professionals at the children's hospital not to deliver healthcare to other people's children. "David Crisafulli is pretty clearly a hypocrite on this front."
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Parents in one Aussie state could be CHARGED for smacking their children
Parents in Queensland could soon face criminal charges for smacking their children as the state moves to potentially outlaw corporal punishment in the home. The Queensland Law Reform Commission (QLRC) is currently reviewing the state's Criminal Code, which provides a legal defence for parents, carers, and teachers who use physical discipline, so long as it is deemed 'reasonable'. The proposed changes aim to remove or significantly limit this defence, granting children the same legal protection from assault as adults. Under the new laws, any form of punishment that causes injury, such as striking with a wooden spoon or belt, would be outlawed. The use of any force on a child's head, face, or neck would also be explicitly banned. The review has been welcomed by more than 100 health and welfare experts, including the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Bravehearts. Among the strongest advocates is Dr Justin Coulson, a parenting expert, father-of-six, and host of Happy Families, Australia's most downloaded parenting podcast. 'We have over 60 years of evidence showing that smacking is unhelpful,' Dr Coulson told Daily Mail Australia. 'It does not benefit children and is best avoided.' He explained that smacking operates on a 'dose-response' model, where outcomes worsen as smacking becomes more frequent or severe. 'The more often children are smacked, the worse the outcomes tend to be,' he said. Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr also weighed in on the smacking debate, expressing her support for the proposed reforms. 'As a mum of two, I hear the old arguments like, "We were hit as kids and turned out fine",' Barr said on Thursday's program. 'But those arguments don't really hold up anymore. We didn't have seatbelts either.' But social commentator Prue MacSween has criticised the move, describing the proposed law changes as an unnecessary intrusion into family life. 'No one condones extreme discipline that will harm a child,' she told this publication. 'But I came from a generation that got a smack on the backside when I deserved it and it hasn't caused long-term mental angst for me. These experts are confusing this form of parental discipline with corporal punishment or abuse.' MacSween said parents being unable to properly discipline their children had created a generation of children growing up with no boundaries or respect. 'Parents are being sidelined by these bloody intrusive do-gooders, probably the same people who have influenced our shocking education system that is churning out kids who don't even know the basics,' she said. Dr Coulson acknowledged the concerns about government overreach but said it had a role to protect children, a vulnerable group in society. 'Some will roll their eyes and say "It's just a tap,' but that 'tap' can become the default parenting tool,' he said. 'When smacking becomes the go-to method, it dulls a parent's ability to respond constructively. It can escalate - some parents begin to smack harder or more frequently.' The father-of-six said other countries had already passed similar laws. 'Around 67 countries have introduced legislation banning smacking to protect children,' Dr Coulson said. 'These nations have acknowledged the harm it causes - to relationships, academic performance, and mental health - and decided to take action.' The expert said some parents confused punishment with discipline. 'Usually, you can't solve the problem in the heat of the moment,' he said. 'First, you diffuse the situation. Then, when everyone is calm, you can address the issue constructively.'
