Is kicking a child illegal in England?

[100Bees]

I was walking into the gym and a dad with two girls (pre teen) was in front of me. One tripped the other up seemingly accidentally. The dad kicked the kid (not super hard but still a kick not a toe tap) and started berating her. At first I walked past but it didn't sit right with me so I turned around and said something like 'it's not acceptable to kick your child'. He said 'she tripped her up' I pointed out she didn't and anyway that didn't make it acceptable to kick her. Anyway he told me it was none of my business etc etc but it left me a bit shaken.

I was reading today that GPs are recommending to parliament that there is an outright an on smacking children. I was wondering whether kicking is already covered or whether it falls within what's currently allowed.

Update: the gym manager tracked me down using the swipe in data and took a statement which I'm happy about.

Well done OP for standing up to him and saying something. It may be worth finding out whether the gym manager is intending to escalate it to the police?

Well done. I would say absolutely not. Especially not in retaliation for her tripping her sister as you can hardly teach a child violence is unacceptable using violence.

Whether it’s legal or not, it’s repulsive behaviour and well done you for speaking up for that child. Definitely should be illegal.

Sounds like you did the right thing OP, well done.

IANAL but it's not legal to kick a child, it's assault as it would be if you kicked an adult.

But there is a defence used in law currently in England and Northern Ireland of 'reasonable punishment' which can be used to defend 'minor' physical punishment of children (like smacking). That is the campaign you'll have seen, to remove that defence as has already happened in Scotland and Wales.

I hope it succeeds soon - surely it can never be 'reasonable' to hurt a child.

I recall when one of our nurses saw on the intercom system a parent kicking a child (both come to visit another family member). Social services were interested in their report, based on concerns that if this was what the parent would do in public...

Assault and illegal here in Scotland. In England you have a reasonable chastisement defence. Doesn't sound reasonable to me but I doubt you'd get far with it. Maybe a stern talking to from the police would put the shits up him though.

I’m not sure if it’s illegal but well done for saying something.

The manager said they were speaking to some other people who saw it too, and they will take external advice on how to proceed.

I'm glad they took the initiative re taking it further, I was just thinking through raising it with reception on the way out when they called me.

I'll be delighted when (surely it's a when) the government bans this as then there's no room for uncertainty. It will mean my son's school can do more about his friend who is regularly slapped by his dad.