ABSTRACT
From ancient to medieval times, child abuse has been a part of human development. ere were no national laws protecting children until the 19th century. As far back as the Roman times, children were the chattels of their father. ey depended solely on his decision as to whether they should live or die (Bala 1989). Unmistakably, even before the Roman times, there was a tyrannical rule of the husband over his wife and of the father over his children. Under the Civil Code of Napoleon Bonaparte (1804), the family was sustained as “the unit and bastion of moral discipline and social order, and gave it a basis in power by reviving the patria potestas of ancient regimes: the father was awarded full control over his wife’s property, and full authority over his children until they came of age” (Durant and Durant 1975). A father could have his children imprisoned on his own word alone, and he could deny his son getting married until he was twenty six years of age. In the same vein, he could prevent his daughter from getting married until she was twenty one (Durant and Durant 1975).
