The Telegraph has reported that the UK is due to pass a so called “Cinderella law” to prosecute parents who emotionally harm their children. This will be the first time UK law has defined emotional cruelty as a criminal offense.
Parents convicted under the law may face up to 10 years imprisonment.
According to the Telegraph, types of behavior that may lead to a prosecution under this law could include deliberately ignoring a child, or not showing them any love, over prolonged periods, damaging a child’s emotional development. Other behavior that may be categorized as a crime may include forcing a child to witness domestic violence, making a child a scape goat or forcing degrading and punishments upon them.
Attorney Jiraporn Thongphong, a Thailand Family Lawyer, believes that while the proposed law may be well-intentioned, the law may also be abused by vindictive ex-spouses and over-reaching government workers. According to Thongphong, Thailand does not currently have a criminal law forbidding emotional neglect, However, Section 306 of the Thai Penal Code states that any person who abandons a child who has not yet reached the age of 9 can be sentenced to imprisonment of up to 3 years and/or a fine of 6,000 baht under Thailand Criminal Law.
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