Let me ask you something there smerf, in all sincereity, did your daughter deserve it at the time? Was she totally out of control or did she ever get out of control in her later years?
It is widely known that I don't have kids but have been around many (via family, gf's, etc) and believe me, I've met more than my fair share that had they spoken to me the way they did their mothers? They'd get more than a slap in the ass and I would't shed a tear over it.
My father never laid a hand on us, he didn't have to. My mother did all the beating and as we got older and were able to defend ourselves, my father stepped in and made it perfectly clear that if we ever laid a hand on our mother we'd better hit the road and fast because we'd spend a year in the hospital. (kind of hypocritical now that I think about it that she could hit us with whatever she wanted, or what was at hand yet we couldn't even grab her to stop her....).
I will be honest and tell you: those memories of cowering in a corner while a coat hanger flies is one of the main reasons I don't have much contact with my parents especially my mother. She always asks "why"? and I bite my tongue whenever it comes up.
I remember one conversation she was having with a GF at the time. She was saying how well behaved my brother and I were when we went out to dinner or whatever. Once again I kept my mouth shut (at the time) about how if we spoke out of turn blood would be shed when we got home. This is one of the reasons why I hear about people being arrested for one swat in the ass and just can't fathom it. I can't help but think: holy crap, is that ALL you have to do to go to jail?
If the authorities only knew.....