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"I suppose that if we repealed Section 59 which allows a parent to use reasonable physical force to discipline their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