Throw water to get child out of bed, judge says

A district court judge has been criticised for suggesting the mother of a truant throw water over her daughter to force her out of bed.

Judge Lindsay Moore suggested the technique at the Napier District Court yesterday while sentencing Ataraiti Watson on a truancy charge, The Dominion Post reported.

Watson pleaded guilty to failing to ensure her 14-year-old daughter Atareta attended school for 25 days between January and May without an excuse.

She was convicted and discharged.

Her lawyer, Mike McAleer, said Watson had had no success when trying to convince her daughter to get out of bed.

"I indicated that section 59 of the Crimes Act gave her a defence to pull her daughter out of bed and to drag her out to the street so she could be picked up," Mr McAleer said.

The judge said a "small container of cold water" would do the same job.

"There are more ways than one to get a reluctant youngster out of bed."

Speaking outside court, Mr McAleer said he had referred to section 59, the controversial anti smacking law, in which a parent was justified in using reasonable force to prevent a child engaging in conduct that amounted to a criminal offence.

Barnardos national chief executive Murray Edridge said he assumed the judge's comment was a joke, but he still found it extremely unhelpful. Parents needed to be sensible and appropriate in their discipline, he said.

"Discipline other than physical can still cause harm to the relationship between the parent and the child -- psychological pressure, for example.

"Throwing cold water at a child might not come under section 59 but it is still unhelpful."

- NZPA