France must pass laws that
explicitly outlaw smacking children, the Council of Europe said
Wednesday.
Europe's top human rights body said that France's laws on
corporal punishment were "not sufficiently clear, binding and
specific".
French law forbids violence against children, but
recognises the parents' "right to discipline" children.
The CoE ruling follows a complaint by a British children's
charity against France and six other EU countries.
The charity, Approach, says the countries are violating a
section of the European Social Charter calling on signatories to
protect children.
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