Dad ties up stepdaughter in prank, court calls it abuse

A Vietnamese man in his 30s was given a suspended prison sentence in South Korea for binding his 10-year-old stepdaughter while pretending to be a kidnapper, in a case the court said could not be considered a joke.

The Ulsan District Court sentenced the man to one year in prison, suspended for three years, on charges of child abuse under the Child Welfare Act, the court said Monday.

The incident took place in July last year at the family’s home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.

Prosecutors said the man entered a room wearing a windbreaker, neck warmer and gloves to conceal his identity, then wrapped his daughter’s hands and head multiple times with transparent tape while she was using her phone.

Believing she was being abducted, the child fled the house. She later suffered severe psychological distress and developed a strong fear of being left alone, according to the court.

The defendant told the court the act was intended as a prank.

The judge rejected that claim, saying the act of binding a 10-year-old child could not be viewed as a joke. The court cited as mitigating factors that the victim had been able to remove the tape herself and that the defendant acknowledged wrongdoing and is no longer in contact with the child.

This story was written with the assistance of AI and edited by Korea Herald staff. — Ed.