A Perth father has been charged with assault after allegedly making his son’s gums bleed when he forcibly brushed his teeth.
The man is facing three counts of aggravated common assault, police say.
Seven News reports that the Perth man stands accused of grabbing his teenage son on the back of his neck and leading him in the bathroom and then allegedly brushed then forcibly brushed his teeth.
Defence lawyers for the man called the charges curious and are now in negotiations with police to have the case dropped.
“I find (the charges) extraordinary, and it is legal in Western Australian for parents to apply physical force to correct the child as long as it’s reasonable and proportionate,” his lawyer Nicole Young said.
“So I can’t really understand how the police decided to bring these charges.”
The father is due to appear in court early next year.
