Attack On S&M Devotees

Sorry Girls Not Tonight...It Is Against The Law

Anti-spanking bill passed by Senate

ELIZABETH THOMPSON , Gazette Ottawa Bureau

Published: Wednesday, June 18

OTTAWA - A bill that could see parents slapped with assault charges for spanking their children has passed a crucial first step on its way to becoming law.

Bill S-209, which would prohibit a parent to use force on his or her child except in very limited circumstances, was adopted without fanfare by the Senate this evening.

The House of Commons must also adopt the bill before it can become law.

"It is to send a signal so that people who use violence in a repeated way will no longer feel protected," said Liberal Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette, the author of the bill. "It is not to arrest everyone who gives their child a tap on the arm."