How To Avert A Tragedy

A twenty year-old Otara woman was yesterday charged in the Manukau District Court with murdering her two year-old daughter. The child was taken off life support at the Starship hospital on Saturday. This case follows quickly on the heels of the death of twenty-three month-old "baby Iris" recently killed in Dunedin.

"I suppose that if we repealed Section 59 which allows a parent to use reasonable physical force to discipline their child, neither of these tragedies would have happened. At least that must be what Mr Maharey believes given his zeal for a ban on smacking," Lindsay Mitchell, petitioner for a parliamentary review of the DPB said today.

" It crossed my mind that if people weren't paid to have children they don't really want, some of these types of terrible events, and the suffering that culminates in a death, might be averted."

" But I must be on the wrong track because the government is going to continue to encourage increasing numbers of people to become ill- equipped and frankly, pathetic parents, whilst banning responsible parents from smacking."

"Silly me," said a contrite Mitchell. " I forgot. Of course the government knows best."

Lindsay Mitchell Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB ph/fx 04 562 7944

e-mail dandl.mitchell@clear.net.nz

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