Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recommends prohibition of all corporal punishment of children

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has published its concluding observations on states examined at its 14thsession in August/September 2015.

In its observations on Qatar, the Committee expressed concern at the legality of corporal punishment and the lack of information on how it affects children with disabilities in the home and other settings. The Committee recommended prohibition of all corporal punishment.

The Committee also included the issue of corporal punishment in its list of issues for Mauritius, asking how children with disabilities are being protected from corporal punishment in all settings. The Government drew attention to the Education Act which already prohibits corporal punishment and the Children’s Bill currently under discussion which will give added protection.

 

Further information

For details of the legality of corporal punishment in these states and the reforms necessary in order to achieve prohibition, see the Global Initiative’s country reports for Qatar and Mauritius.

For information on the human rights imperative to prohibit corporal punishment of children in relation to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, see the CRPD section of this website.