SMACKING children will be against the law in Wales from today.

       All forms of physical punishment have been made illegal under the Children (Wales) Act.

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       Children will have the same protection from assault as adults — and the law will apply to anyone visiting Wales Credit: Rex Features

       It marks the end of the common law defence of “reasonable punishment”.

       Children will have the same protection from assault as adults — and the law will apply to anyone visiting Wales.

       It joins 60 nations with such bans. First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “No more grey areas. That is all in the past.

       “There is no place for physical punishment in a modern Wales.”

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       Scotland introduced its own ban in November 2020.

       Previously in Wales, and as is still the case in England and Northern Ireland, smacking a child was unlawful, but such an assault was allowed as long as it constituted "reasonable punishment".

       Whether the defence was accepted depended on the circumstances of each case, taking into consideration factors such as the age of the child and the nature of the contact, including whether it left a red mark or was carried out with a fist or implement such as a cane or belt.

       Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan called the day a "historic moment for children and their rights in Wales".

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