Just before Easter law amendments prohibiting any form of violence against children, including physical punishment, were rejected by the Lithuanian Parliament. Even though Lithuania had committed to correct the gap in national legislature and protect children from physical discipline by 2009, now, in 2010, a significant number of parliamentarians still consider violence against children to be a part of national heritage or an effective means of upbringing. Dainius Pūras, Chair of HRMI Board and a child psychiatrist, as well as other experts, are convinced that beating children is not effective – victim obeys abuser out of pain and fear, which has no relation to means of upbringing or education of an individual. Furthermore, beating people is prohibited in Lithuania. So is a child not a person?
Deeply concerned by the actions of the parliamentarians, HRMI together with Nomeda Marčėnaitė, Goodwill Human Rights Ambassador, prepared a public statement, which received active support from individuals who represent a variety of social and occupational groups and beliefs, but are brought together by their unwillingness to live with a system of double-standards, and their wish for Lithuanian children to be brought up in a safe and respectful environment. 58 Members of the Parliament spoke in favour of violence, 58 signatories of the declaration representing various social groups speak against violence.
See the full text of the public statement in Advocacy section or here.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute