Police determined they cannot apply neglect charges to the parents of middle school students who rode "fixie bicycles" with no braking devices.
Incheon Namdong Police Station said on the 20th that it closed the case without booking A and B, the guardians of two middle school students who were the subject of a pre-booking inquiry for alleged neglect under the Child Welfare Act.
The guardians' children were caught by police who were dispatched after a report at about 1 a.m. on Mar. 18 for riding fixie bicycles dangerously on a road in Namdong District, Incheon. At the time, they were riding with a group of five.
Police then reviewed whether to apply neglect charges to both middle school students, who had been caught multiple times in the past for dangerous riding. Neglect charges can be applied when there is a failure to provide basic protection, care, medical treatment, or education to a child.
However, police concluded that neglect cannot be applied in this case. Even after a legal review, they determined that the basic conditions for applying the neglect offense were not met.
Police also reviewed whether the children who rode the fixie bicycles could face charges for violating the Road Traffic Act, but determined punishment would be difficult.
The case drew attention over whether parents of underage riders could be punished in connection with dangerous riding of fixie bicycles. Earlier, the Korean National Police Agency said that due to safety concerns from fixie bicycles, "if parents fail to take appropriate measures despite repeated warnings, guardians can be punished on suspicion of neglect."