Rescue workers are continuing their hunt for a little boy lost in the Japanese wilderness, as police reveal he was abandoned there by his own parents.
The couple had previously told authorities that their son had become lost as they foraged for wild vegetables in the mountains near Nanae, Hokkaido, on Saturday. However, according to The Japan Times, a police spokesperson has since been revealed that wasn’t the case.
“The parents left the boy in the mountains as a punishment because he disobeyed them when they told him to stop throwing stones at other cars passing by,” the spokesman said.
According to Japanese network, TV Asahi, the couple had walked 500 metres from the boy before returning five minutes later to find him missing.
More than 130 people searched for a third day for the boy, identified in Japanese media as Yamato Tanooka.
The search area is sparsely populated, densely forested and home to a healthy population of brown bears.
According to The Japan Times, police are currently investigating whether the parents should face charges.
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Of course they should be charged!!! Why isn't it a given??
Leaving a child alone, scared and abandoned doesn't teach the boy obedience. It teaches him that his parents don't love him unconditionally and will knowingly put him in danger to punish him. They too should face punishment because they see that as a valid form of teaching.