>> hello and a very warm welcome to "european journal" coming to you from dw city is in brussels. good to have you with us today. here's what is coming up in the next half-hour. late pardon -- how cars deserters are fighting for their honor. parents will not give up slapping their children. and why the turks love their dogs. syrian soldiers who desert from their army to avoid shooting at their fellow countrymen are raised in the west, but the syrian dictator publicly

denounces them as traitors. german soldiers whose refusal to fight hastened the end of the nazi regime had to wait some 50 years before they were rehabilitated. so what is a heroic deed and what is treason? some irish soldiers wanted to fight against hitler's germany and had to leave their own army to do so. >> these guys have seen a lot. philip fought with the british army against nazi germany. he even took part in the allied invasion of normandy, a bloody battle that claimed thousands of lives. >> he, you know, left ireland to go fight in the war because he just got married. he wanted to make a difference. he still had to provide for his wife and seven children and

grandchildren as he got older. just what you would want to be as a man, i suppose. >> patrick wants justice for his grandfather, but time is running out. philip is over 90 years old. he never shows off his medals for bravery. even today, nearly 70 years later, he is afraid of the irish authorities. philip deserted the irish army to fight for the british and was sent to prison when he returned. the trauma has remained with him. this was the first time his family has let anyone take his picture. strangers, and even more so, a video camera make him nervous. >> he is still nervous at this stage. this was an apology, maybe. and thank you for what he has gone through, the paranoia he has lived with, the suffering,

whether someone will not for the door from the government, will he get punished again and again? just something to make up for that. >> patrick started a petition and collected signatures to pardon the veterans. among the signatories is the former president of the european parliament. only ordinary soldiers were punished. officers who had done the same work quietly reintegrated into the irish forces after the war, a blatant injustice according to patty reed. his father was among the first to desert and join the british army. he spent four years in india fighting the japanese and was highly decorated. he mainly remembers the poverty of his childhood because his father, in reality a war hero, was suddenly treated as an outcast. >> the big companies locally, the transport companies, the dock shipping companies -- he was on a list. i am the oldest in my family,

and mike early memories of growing up were not enough food. no money coming in. he was not able to work. he just could not get a job. >> what was known as the starvation order had almost 5000 names on it. there was a copy to be found in all government and personnel offices. anyone on it would not be given a job. >> his name was there. date of birth, it had all of it. psychologically for the family, but to was very difficult. just the thoughts of my early memories of going to the pawn shop. back in those days, we had pawnshops. whatever she could get -- pair of shoes or something -- shepwon shop, and that would be food for a day or two. >> it did not when it's been

fighting for the colonial overlords. for centuries, the irish had rebelled against british rule. in dublin, a monument remembers those who died in a struggle. >> we believe this was one of the most vindictive measures ever introduced by any irish government. it is worth reminding people that the relationship between britain and ireland, when the state was formed in the 1920's rush, the relationship was quite tense. >> today, relations between ireland and england have improved. for many, the gardening of the onetime deserters is a further step in the right direction. advocates of the pardon stressed that deserters joined the war for the right reasons while their own country remained neutral and many irish even sympathize with germany. but there are also some who oppose the pardon, claiming it would not be in ireland's national interest. >> states have to look after their own interests.

they have to think of the people who did not deserve, even though it would have made more money and might have got a medal, but the state by and did their duty as a state. i think honoring the deserters is to insult the people who did not desert. >> harry colorado did not result. as a member of the navy, he was captured by german forces and was sent to a concentration camp. he experienced many horrors there, but he survived. today, he says only one thing matters -- reconciliation. that includes the deserters. >> politics are very hard for us to understand. because, i mean, they are always known for their lack of i. i hope to get their pardon very soon. bowman of the irish government has officially apologized, and the defense minister has pledged

to pardon all deserters this year. at last, after 67 years, philip fairing to no longer needs to be afraid. >> let's have one more for the road. officially, that attitude has come to be frowned upon in most european countries. if you drink and drive, you risk a fine or even a prison sentence, but it is not enough to keep people from having just this one class of alcohol before getting into their cars. in france, alcohol is to blame for one in three road accidents. especially young drivers who often underestimate the effects. it can create more awareness, but it may be even better to stop access to cars altogether when you have had a drink, say authorities in sweden. >> he has to take a breathalyzer test before she can start the

car. she gets the green light, and an all clear from the instructor. >> i think it is a good thing. there is no risk of someone driving with alcohol in the bloodstream. >> she's taking driving lessons, and the breath test has been standard right from the start. earlier this year, sweden's national association of driving schools decided that all training vehicles must be equipped with alcohol locks. the idea was to accustom the future drivers to it from the beginning. many instructors think it would be good for all cars to be fitted with the weiser's -- breathalyzers. >> i think so, and it would be good if car makers would include them in standard equipment. that would make it cheaper. >> right now, it cost about 1300 euros to connect a breathalyzer

to the ignition. rather expensive. in their car voluntarily. sweden strictly regulates alcohol. the state holds a monopoly on its sale, which lets it decide when and where it is available. it is also a good source of revenue. the idea is for the state to protect society from the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption rather than leave it up to the individual. even so, alcoholism remains a problem in sweden. monitor, a physician, supervised a project designed to help alcoholics. anyone caught driving while of the influence can keep their licenses if they have a breathalyzer installed in their car. through her work, she has become a lobbyist for the alcohol lock in sweden and throughout the eu, but so far, without success. >> there is little interest in

lowering alcohol consumption. on the contrary, producers would like to see it increase. we would like to introduce the breathalyzer for all road traffic in sweden, but the government rejected the idea, saying it is an import barrier for cars. the eu totally blocked it. >> any unilateral action by sweden to introduce a universal alcohol law might also run into resistance from the economic interests, though not from the swedish people. driving on even one glass of wine or beer is strictly frowned upon. that is said to be rooted in the national conscience. >> i think if someone is driving an official vehicle, they should definitely have an alcohol walk. >> safety is what is most important. a breathalyzer in the car would be good for everyone. people should not drive drunk, even if it might infringe on your personal liberty. >> stockholm pose a municipal

building hopes to set an example. installed in all 21 of its official cars. andrea is in charge of the vehicles and says employees quickly got used to them. >> they blow into the device and start their working days. so far, mainly government agencies, hospitals, and bus and taxi companies have voluntarily have them installed in vehicles. the post office has come up with another way. it has had a breathalyzer built into its staff key cabinet. letter carriers lined up in the morning to take a test. each person uses their own personal mouthpiece. if they fail to comply, they will not get the key to their vehicles, whether a van or moped. and as it thinks it is a brilliant idea.

>> it is my responsibility to come to work sober, but it is also the responsibility of the employee year to make sure i am is sober once i drive out to make sure i do not injure anyone. it really should not be seen negatively. >> just to be sure no one stops off for a quick drink while on duty, the letter carriers repeat the test when they return from their routes. the alcohol lock has been available in sweden since 1999. it is becoming more common, even without the political will to mandate its use. >> we swedes like to show that we are somewhat better. we like to be the first and everything. it is a matter of proving that we are good. someone somewhere came up with this idea, and it is a smart idea. >> another advantage of the alcohol lock is that one can take the test without fear of immediate repercussions. it is there to reassure the

driver that he or she is sober enough to be behind the wheel. >> sweden is often at the spearhead of modern developments. it was also the first country to ever hit corporal punishment of children in all spheres of life. this was some 30 years ago, and many other countries have since followed. most people would agree that children have their own rights and should not be beaten, but in some countries, that still does not apply to the way parents treat their children at home. in the czech republic, for instance. >> they are not parents who spare the rod. sometimes the threat is enough. >> our daughters know it hurts. when it comes to disciplining their children, they share a widely held view among parents in the czech republic -- kids who cannot hear must feel. spanking and hitting is not only

viewed as acceptable, it is encouraged. after all, a swat never hurt anyone. the family dog follows his master's orders. less obedient children face consequences. parenting is hard work. a mere telling of costs time and energy. sometimes a beating is far more effective. >> usually, i just tell them off, but sometimes, i will smack their bottoms. >> he understands the humiliation of a beating, but occasionally, we have to get the came out. >> many parents believe using the cane is an effective way of gaining their children's compliance. >> i have often been hit on the bottom with the cane. it hurts and makes me sad. i would rather be grounded. sometimes it hurts more than others.

there are times i think it is unfair that they are hitting me at all. >> she planned to raise her children differently, but that was before her son was born. she says he is an unruly child. today, she is convinced corporal punishment is a necessary evil. >> we always try reasoning first or discussion, but that does not always work. unfortunately, a smack can be more effective than a lot of talk. >> the mother concedes she only recently lost control and spanked her child. in germany or sweden, she could face charges, but a czech mother does not have to justify why she hits a child. >> when he was born, i read parenting books and wanted to get by without slapping or spanking. i was resolved through -- to

discipline through discussion appeared as i got older, i realized that is all fine and well, but there comes a point where he crosses a boundary and no longer pays attention to me. >> which is why today, she, too, smacks her son on occasion. this is an institution in prague for abused children. it is run by a child protection organization called kangaroo house. she had been repeatedly punched in the face by her stepmother. an estimated 40,000 czech children are subjected to punishment that exceeds a threshold they define as unreasonable force, a fine line between discipline and abuse. some 50 children died from their injuries each year, some believe outline corporal

punishment would outlaw -- would reduce the cases of abuse. >> offer, the courts fail to classify even serious injuries to children as abuse because of a lack of evidence -- often. even if injuries are documented by photographs, they are classed as permissible physical punishment. a ban on striking children would provide the legal clarity to prosecute such parents. >> she is looking for to her birthday this week. she will be five. cases like hers are becoming increasingly prevalent in the czech republic. federal human rights minister launched an attempt to ban physical punishment. them of the czech republic has a relatively high number of cases of abuse fatalities. parents tell the court their kids scream too much or whatever, and they were only trying to punish them, so we

should say every type of physical abuse of children is impermissible because children are for agile. >> the proposed legislation failed to gain traction. it caused a national outcry with parents accusing the state of meddling in family affairs. polls show 75% of the population approves of corporal punishment. >> to use my father's words, spare the rod, spoil the child. >> a law? no way. some kids are so hard to train, it is the only way to teach them boundaries. >> the bid to outlaw physical punishment was also slapped down by the prime minister, who backed spanking as a valuable disciplinary measure. that view was shared by his party colleague, a father of four. >> children have to be

disciplined. the hands-off approach that exists in parts of western europe is wrong. often, it is advocated by people do not have kids themselves. >> his mother is bewildered by the proposal to punish parents who hit their children. >> i am against outlawing spanking. it would give the state too much control over family life. i am also against raising little kids like princes and princesses, for whom no rules apply. that fails to prepare them for adult life. >> it is unlikely his unborn kid sister will escape the occasional beating during her childhood. in the czech republic, a good thrashing is all part of growing up. >> trafalgar square in london or st. mark's square in venice, if you have been there or seen pictures, you know they owe at least part of their charm to all of the doves flying about, petted and fed by tourists, but

pigeons can, of course, also serve practical purposes. homing pigeons can carry messages over distances of more than 1,000 kilometers and find their way back home. the capital of pigeons is in turkey where the pigeon breeding tradition goes back within 700 years and is still very much alive. >> it is 8:00 in the morning. time for him to open up his furniture shop. before doing that, he heads up to the roof, just as he does every morning. the 56-year-old is expected. by 45 pigeons, ready for their routine morning flight.

his neighbor is also tending to his words pick -- birds. the pigeon breeder has set up security cameras to protect his precious creatures. they are his pride and joy. many wear adornments on their feet and feathers. he has an eye for special characteristics the untrained eye failed to spot. >> the neck and head should be slim. the plumage should be strong and evenly pattern, and the bird's posture should be graceful. when i am with my birds, and the headache or in the pain disappears in the instant. it is like being in another world. i did not notice what is happening in the city below. i become a absorbers in this atmosphere.

>> this 2000-old city is known for the thousands of pigeons which populate its skies. in ancient times, the name of the city was of the sec, and it was thought to be the birthplace of the prophet abraham. the carp are sacred, and having the lake where he was born. at his home to predominately kurds and arabs, and it seems most of them have cockpits and fever. the many tea shops in the city post pigeon auctions every evening. bidding starts at around two yours, but the finest birds can fetch thousands. the goods are carefully inspected, and much tea is consumed. the sign let's punters no exchanges are out. he is no gambler and is not convinced by the birds on offer tonight.

>> the most i have ever paid for a bird is about 400 euros. the most expensive birds are the ones that can fly abroad and back. thousands of kilometers from here to germany or holland, for example. >> but pidgeon breeding in turkey is not always a peaceful pastime. knives or pistils are drawn during fights over the best birds. that is what brought on the shootings at the end of april, a fight which left one dead and two injured. they live in a modern block of flats were keeping pigeons on the roof is only allowed if all tenants agreed. he and his two daughters also use the internet to indulge their heartbeat -- how the. he gets with like-minded and dizziness from germany over facebook.

>> he is quite besotted with the creatures, but we tell ourselves that when our fathers have become a we all benefit. >> pigeon breeders must always be near their birds. you can go out and meet friends, but you must be back for feeding times. the birds are waiting for you. not many young people want that responsibility, so i do not know if the tradition will survive in our family. >> there are around 10,000 pigeon breeders in the city alone. alongside bright materials and herbs, you can also find all things related to pigeons. it is where he purchases jewelry for his beloved creatures.

evening has fallen, and he is back with his birds. they need to be fed. and he can enjoy some peace and quiet high above the city. from up here, the birds can sort surreally over the rooftops. they are the perfect symbol for his multicultural city. >> love of animals knows no religion or creed. this hobby is shared by kurds, turks, and arabs. >> from peer status defeats a flight, no where else are people so passionate about pigeons as in turkey. -- from -- >> that report brings us to the end of "european journal." we look forward to having you with us again next week. until then, from all of us here in brussels, thanks very much for tuning in, and good bye for now. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--