Spare the belt . . .

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From NT News April 8, 2009
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/200...71_ntnews.html

Smack costs dad his daughter

EMILY WATKINS

April 8th, 2009

A MAN who smacked his five-year-old daughter with a belt after she stole money has been fined $1000 and had her removed from his custody.

The 42-year-old man pleaded guilty to the aggravated assault charge in Darwin Magistrates Court yesterday.

The court heard he took a black leather belt from his bedroom, folded it over and hit the girl four times on the bottom with it when she would not tell him where she got the money from.

She was walking strangely to stop the $2.10 in coins making a noise in her pocket after the man picked her up from school last month.

The court heard the girl and her father had a "wonderful" relationship.

The court was also told the man had two older sons who lived with him at the time, he had recently separated from his partner, and was under stress at work.

The girl is now living with a foster carer interstate. In sentencing the man, magistrate Greg Cavanagh said the assault of the girl was "outrageous".

"The trust that is given to adults and to fathers to bring up and nurture their young babies is a very precious thing indeed - the most precious responsibility and trust you'll ever have," he said.

"You have abused that trust and you have abused your love of her by giving her a beating."

Mr Cavanagh said that even if the man had been brought up with similar punishments, society no longer accepted it.

"In this modern age, physical punishment of children is seen to be barbaric," he said.

"I'll bet you she screamed and cried when you did this to her."

The man wiped away tears as Mr Cavanagh sentenced him.

He was convicted and fined $1000.