Father Arrested And Locked Up For Smacking Runaway Son

Look, I’m usually the first person to denounce smacking a disciplinary measure. But I can’t help but feel for British dad Mark Frearson, who was arrested and taken to a police cell for questioning after a witness saw him smack his 7-year-old on the leg last week while shopping.

Mr Frearson said it was dark and he told son Harry to stay with him. When he realised his son had left the shop there was a ten minute search and he was found outside in a nearby park. He said he smacked Harry once on the back of his leg and the two returned home.

A few hours later, police arrived saying a witness had reported Mr Frearson for “assault”. The officers then took Harry back to his mother’s (which must have been terrifying for the kid) and Mr Frearson was arrested and taken to the police station where he spent the night in a police cell.

The 47-year-old has made a formal complaint to the Independent Police Complaints Commission about the ordeal.

He said the police reaction was “massively over-the-top” and the experience was traumatic for his son.

Mr Frearson, from Plymouth, Devon, said: “I find it shocking how easy it is to have someone arrested. To think that all this happened on the back of one allegation.
“I appreciate the police’s concern but even if they felt they had to take Harry away I don’t understand why they felt it necessary to arrest me and lock me up before interviewing me or the witness.

Just a bit over the top, don’t you think? Especially in the light of the dreadful child abuse allegations that have come out of the UK in the past week.

[Source]