Dad accused of abuse issued first police restraining order

A 34-year-old father has became the first person in South Korea to receive a police-issued restraining order for allegedly beating his child, police said Thursday.

The father living in Busan, identified only by his surname Park, was arrested last Monday on charges of beating his 13-year-old son upon coming home inebriated, the National Police Agency said.

The man was immediately banned from coming within 100 meters of his son and 34-year-old wife. He was also prohibited from using electronic means to communicate with them.

This marks the first time South Korean police have issued an emergency restraining order against a parent accused of child abuse since the amendment of a related law.

The revised law on child abuse went into effect late last month, giving police the authority to issue temporary restraining orders until the court has reviewed the case. Previously, only courts were allowed to issue such orders.

The revision came after a couple of high-profile cases of violence against children shed light into enforcement loopholes and sparked nationwide debate.

Last December, a woman in a southeastern province was found to have kicked her 8-year-old stepdaughter to death, following a similar case two months earlier. (Yonhap)