I’m with you. I wasn’t switched, but the belt sometimes left a mark. I generally needed it if I got it, and I’m better off for it.
Personally, I always used my hand because then I knew exactly how it felt. However, there were times that finger marks were left. If you ask my kids, they’ll tell you the same I say about my Dad.
If I had ever used a switch, I’m sure I would have drawn blood at times. But cars, horses and rattlesnakes and cactus can be a lot more dangerous, and whatever it took to make a young child listen was better than a single time of not listening when things got hairy.
There is a very small percentage of kids that actually do need some sort of negative consequence such as spanking. I was a child very determined to have my own way. My mom did spank me quite a bit. The irony is I behaved better for my Dad and paternal Grandmother than for my Mom, and they never spanked me. They talked to me and I listened.
I might have spanked my kids once or twice. My rule was three licks, not to be done if I was at all frustrated or mad. The kids were told you will be punished for that behavior and I will tell you later what that will be. In the meantime you are to consider how you will ensure this never happens again, and tell me.
Usually discipline involved loss of privileges and a method to earn them back involving whatever behavior was needing correction. I am not against corporal punishment, but I will say there is a difference between mere punishment and discipline. I also think that this particular switching went too far.
However, I think that there is also the issue of discord between parents here, that may be playing a part in this becoming a police matter. The Dad appears to need some better methods for dealing with kids.
However, I know that many children face much worse than this, and the abuser gets very little disincentive to do better, but the kids are returned, and eventually wind up dead.
From the pictures, I don't think what the man did is ok. It also appears that he did not intend to cross the line. Some education and parenting classes are in order to be sure, but I'm not going to go into some overblown description and personal attack against the Dad either.
I'll wait for more info, and save my wrath for the guys that actually spank their kids and break their bones, and cause concussions and even death.