tackling child abuse.

And one of its first moves in combating abuse should be the scrapping of corporal punishment. Yesterday's claim was made by award-winning New York paediatrician and child abuse expert Dr. Vincent J. Fontana.

He said Bermuda's Government had turned a blind eye to the problem for too long. It had been guided by the belief families were "sacrosanct'' -- and nobody should interfere, he added.

As well as abolishing "the abuse of corporal punishment'' in schools, Dr.

Fontana recommended: Government should build a crisis centre to reach out to children -- and their abusers; The 1943 Protection of Children Act should be amended; A system of reporting abuse should be set up; Dr. Fontana, who has been coming to Bermuda for 40 years, did have some encouraging words for Government, however. He hailed Bermuda's child abuse task force -- headed by lawyer Mr. Saul Froomkin -- as a "giant step'' in the right direction. And he urged Government to support the Coalition for the Protection of Children. Bermuda was lucky to have someone of the calibre of the Coalition's co-chairperson Ms Sheelagh Cooper, he added. "She is dedicated, caring and gutsy.'' Dr. Fontana applauded the Coalition's report on abuse which had been presented to the task force.

Dr. Fontana is medical director and paediatrician-in-chief at The New York Foundling Hospital Center for Parent and Child Development, and professor of Clinical Paediatrics at the New York University College of Medicine.

He has also been chairman of the Mayor's Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect. Among his several books on abuse are The Maltreated Child and Somewhere A Child Is Crying.

Dr. Fontana, who leaves the Island today, has been giving Ms Cooper the benefit of his experience. He also planned to meet Mr. Froomkin, passing on ideas on how Bermuda can meet the child abuse challenge.

Yesterday he told The Royal Gazette Bermuda could get off to a flying start in getting to grips with abuse by following the American lead. "I would say Bermuda's Government is still about 20 years behind in dealing with child abuse. Bermuda can learn from our experience. After all, why re-invent the wheel?'' Dr. Fontana said Bermuda should immediately abolish corporal punishment, and become less of a "punitive society''.

"Practically every child development expert regards corporal punishment as an unacceptable and antiquated outdated form of discipline. The habit seems to be ingrained in the Bermudian way of life. It is a legacy that has travelled down the generations that should be done away with.

"The tradition continues as a result of our acceptance of violence in general. There is a belief that children should be treated as possessions and parents have the right to raise their children anyway they want.

"Corporal punishment does little to teach a child the difference between right and wrong. It only teaches the child that its okay to use violence in solving problems, that it is okay for a powerful person to hurt someone who is less powerful.

"Loving discipline on the other hand, is an educational civilising experience that teaches a child about life and the rules required.''