I havent read the article but what you wrote is alarming to me. Leaving bruises without malice......does that mean they were rough housing and it wasnt a result of something else? I know laws are different but in VA corporal punishment is allowed, any striking (spanking) should be confined to the buttocks area and it should not leave bruising or damage the tissue, the strike should occur with the hand and not a belt. No other areas of the body are considered acceptable, to include a pop in the mouth that we all got as kids. If the officer has evidence on the victim, witnesses or an admission showing a violation of the law and arrest must be made, there is no discretion on the part of law enforcement if you follow the law.