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RALEIGH, N.C. The state Court of Appeals has ruled that spanking a child isn't child abuse if it doesn't cause serious physical injury. The decision came in an appeal by a Pender County father who was convicted of abusing his son and neglecting other children. The Court of Appeals reversed the finding by a Pender County District Court judge. The ruling says that even hitting a child with a belt and causing a bruise isn't child abuse. In the case, the 13-year-old boy told a social worker he had been abused because his father hit him with a belt and created a bruise. The court says abuse causes serious physical injury. Cases showing abuse have included parents who pulled out a child's hair, burned them or hit them with their fists, all of which require immediate medical attention. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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