The Ministry of Justice in Prague wants to pass a law that clearly states that punishing children is not acceptable. The new legislation aims to promote alternative methods of discipline without criminalizing parents or imposing penalties on them. The goal is to encourage parents to use more appropriate educational approaches. Deputy Minister Karel Dvořák discussed this initiative during a press conference introducing the Children Without Violence campaign.
Dvořák emphasized that the Czech Republic is one of the few European Union countries without a similar regulation against punishing children. He stated that laws considering physical punishment as an acceptable disciplinary method are inconsistent with international obligations, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The current version of the Civil Code already includes provisions stating that educational measures should be proportionate, not harm a child’s health or development, and respect their human dignity.
The Ministry has prepared two versions of the amendment. The first version adds a statement affirming that corporal punishment, causing mental distress, and other humiliating measures compromise a child’s human dignity. The second version includes the duty of parents to raise children without resorting to physical punishment or causing mental distress among the list of parental responsibilities and rights.
The amendment is expected to begin the legislative process in the summer of this year, according to the deputy minister’s closing remarks.
