Pacific

Cook Islands minister suggests law change to allow smacking

07:11 am on 15 June 2012

A Cook Islands cabinet minister says one solution to surging levels of youth crime in the country would be allow parents to smack their children.

Police have raised concerns about the numbers and ages of children involved in petty crimes and Teariki Heather was asked in Parliament what should be done about it.

He suggested a law change to return to parents the right to physically discipline their children in the home.