Prison for parents imposing vegan diets on their children

Minister Elvira Savino

 ROME -- A law has been proposed which would make it illegal for parents to impose a vegan diet on children under the age of 16, with the offence being punishable by up to one year in prison.

 According to Italian newspaper ‘Catania Live News’, a “special penal provision” has now been proposed with the amendment of Article 572 of the penal code, which punishes anybody who “imposes a diet lacking in the essential elements for healthy and balanced growth on any child under the age of 16, according to their responsibility as parent or guardian.” Anyone found guilty of the offence would be punished for a period “up to one year” in prison.

 However, the sentence could increase from one year to four if the child in question has suffered any “illness or long term personal injury” as a result of the diet which was imposed on them by their parent or guardian. In the case of death, the imprisonment would be for a period of six years.

 Italian politician Elvira Savino was responsible for this recent proposal, and has explained that her bill is intended to “decisively stigmatize reckless and dangerous eating habits imposed on children by their parents, or whoever is in charge them, to the detriment of minors.”

 The penalties would be increased to a period of twelve months if the eating habits are imposed on “minors under the age of three years old,” according to Savino.

 Savino explained that her proposed crack-down on these punishments is in light of recent and “tragic” cases of children who have been negatively affected by unbalanced diets. She highlighted that forcing children to follow overly restrictive diets, which are often lacking in nutrients, could jeopardise their physical and cognitive development.

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