SC：如果管教兒童導致損害他們的尊嚴，則被視為虐待兒童

最高法院在去年的裁決中表示，如果管教兒童導致損害他們的尊嚴，則被視為虐待兒童，但該裁決直到 1 月 9 日才頒布。

The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that disciplining children in a manner that harms their dignity is considered child abuse, based on a decision made last year and promulgated on 9 January.

最高法院 (SC) 根據去年做出並於 1 月 9 日頒布的決定，裁定以損害兒童尊嚴的方式管教兒童被視為虐待兒童。

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez and dated 22 July 2024, the SC’s Second Division upheld the conviction of a father for child abuse after he subjected his 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son to violent and excessive discipline.

在副法官喬塞普·Y·洛佩茲(Jhosep Y. Lopez) 於2024 年7 月22 日撰寫的一項裁決中，最高法院第二分庭維持了一名父親虐待兒童的定罪，因為他對12 歲的女兒和10 歲的兒子施以暴力和虐待。

Court records showed that the father from 2017 to 2018 beat his children, kicking his daughter, pulling her hair, striking her with a wooden rod with a nail, hitting them with a dustpan, and cursing at them repeatedly.

法庭記錄顯示，2017年至2018年，父親毆打孩子，踢女兒、拉頭髮、用帶釘子的木棍打女兒、用簸箕打孩子，並多次咒罵她們。

He claimed these actions were meant to discipline his children for misbehavior, such as failing to eat lunch and losing money from their coin banks.

他聲稱這些行為是為了懲罰他的孩子們的不當行為，例如不吃午餐和從硬幣銀行丟錢。

The father was found guilty by a Regional Trial Court (RTC) and the Court of Appeals (CA) for violating Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

地區初審法院 (RTC) 和上訴法院 (CA) 判定這名父親有罪，罪名是違反《共和國法 7610》，即《特別保護兒童免遭虐待、剝削和歧視法》。

Under Section 3(b) of RA 7610, any act that debases, degrades, or demeans a child’s dignity is considered child abuse.

根據 RA 7610 第 3(b) 條，任何貶低、貶低或貶低兒童尊嚴的行為均被視為虐待兒童。

The father appealed to the SC, arguing that he had no intention of harming his children’s dignity.

這位父親向最高法院提出上訴，表示他無意傷害孩子們的尊嚴。

However, the SC ruled that his actions went beyond reasonable discipline, showing a clear intent to harm the children’s dignity.

然而，最高法院裁定，他的行為超出了合理的紀律範圍，並表現出明顯損害兒童尊嚴的意圖。

While parents have the right to discipline their children, such measures must not be violent, excessive, or disproportionate to their misbehavior, the SC said.

標準委員會表示，雖然父母有權管教孩子，但此類措施不得暴力、過度或與孩子的不當行為不相稱。

It noted that without this specific intent, the offender cannot be held liable for child abuse but can be charged with other crimes under the Revised Penal Code (RPC).

它指出，如果沒有這種具體意圖，犯罪者就不能被追究虐待兒童的責任，但可以根據修訂後的刑法典（RPC）被指控犯有其他罪行。

The father was sentenced to four to six years in prison and fined P45,000. He was also ordered to pay his children P180,000 in damages.

父親被判處四到六年監禁，併罰款 P45,000。他還被勒令向他的孩子們支付 18 萬比索的損害賠償。

The court reiterated that disciplining children, if it results in physical injuries, does not automatically amount to child abuse.

法院重申，管教兒童如果導致身體傷害，並不會自動構成虐待兒童。

For such acts to be considered abuse, there must be a clear intent to harm a child’s dignity, it explained.

它解釋說，要使此類行為被視為虐待，必須有明確的損害兒童尊嚴的意圖。