From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprotective custodyproˌtective ˈcustody noun [uncountable] SCLa situation in which the police make you stay somewhere to protect you from people who could harm youin/into protective custody The children were taken into protective custody.
Examples from the Corpus
protective custody• But that we are being held in protective custody in a special private clinic.in/into protective custody• But that we are being held in protective custody in a special private clinic. 