Parents guilty of 'spanking' daughter granted conditional discharge

A judge in Salmon Arm, B.C., has sentenced a couple who were convicted ofassault for spanking their 14-year-old daughter toa conditional discharge with no jail time or criminal record.

The father and mother both from Salmon Arm were found guilty in January for hitting their daughter with a mini hockey stick and skipping rope after learning she had sent nude photos of herself to her boyfriend on Snapchat.

Provincial court JudgeEdmonddeWalle said the parents were genuinely remorseful for the incident and have completed counselling since then. He added the couple is not a risk to the community, hasno criminal record and ishighly regarded in Salmon Arm.

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However, the judge also said the parents should have accepted responsibility for their actions and pleaded guilty. The Crown had earlier argued the parents didn't do so because they only felt remorse when they realized what they had done was against the law.

Thecouple'slawyer argued the trial has been hard on the family, and the teenage daughter felt it difficult to go out in public because of the attention it received.

The defence also argued the parents are volunteers with a local school and in the community and a criminal record would impact their ability to continue their service.

Bruises reported to school

Theincident took placeon Valentine's Day of last year, and only came to light after the girl showed her bruised buttocks to two of her girlfriends, who in turn reported what they had seen to their school principal.

De Walle found no excuse for the spanking. in his judgment, he said although any parent would be concerned about a teenager sending nude photos of herself, responding to these acts by spanking her with an object "is simply not believable or acceptable by any measure of current social consensus."

According to the decision, the father struck his daughter two or three times with a plastic mini hockey stick about 45 centimetres in length.

When he told his wifewhat had happened, the decision says,she picked up a skipping rope and hit her daughter two or three times on the buttocks.

The parents argued they had disciplined their daughter this way out of compassion and love.