Ernakulam (Kerala): The Kerala High Court has said it is not a crime for teachers to slap children with good intentions. The court's reference was to quash the complaint filed by the children against the teachers of the private school in Thrissur.
The High Court has held that a teacher slapping a student's cheek in a non-serious manner to maintain discipline is not a criminal offence. Justice A. Badarudin made the remarkable observation by cancelling the case against the principal and vice-principal of the private school in Thrissur Chittatukara.
In its order to quash the complaint against the teachers, the High Court assessed that no external injuries could be seen in the medical examination of students.
The case was based on an incident at the school last January. Children ate and sang during class breaks. They were brought to the principal's room, and five were slapped on the cheek. The children complained that the principal and vice-principal grabbed them by the shirt collar and slapped them on the face.
The defendants approached the High Court demanding the cancellation of the case registered by the Pavarati police. A medical examination conducted at the Chavakkad Taluk Hospital revealed that there were no visible injuries to the students. The High Court held that although slapping children was done to maintain discipline in the school, it cannot be considered a serious crime.
