Japanese boy still missing after parents ‘punish’ him by leaving him behind

People are still searching for the young boy.

According to The Japan Times, seven-year-old Yamato Tano-oka is missing in Japan after his parents left him in a forest "as punishment". In the area of Hokkaido in north Japan, the search continues to find the boy, who has not been seen for two days. The parents of the child originally told authorities they were collecting vegetables when the boy disappeared, but later confessed they temporarily left him alone to punish him for his bad behaviour.

via YouTube

Reports say the child had been throwing stones at cars and people before the incident which led his parents to teach him a considerably harsh lesson. Speaking to Sansei newspaper, the boy's father spoke of his fears for his son:

"I wanted to discipline him, so made him get out of the car to scare him a bit. He's an active, lively boy, but I'm worried how he's doing."

The parents of the boy admitted to driving 500m away from the area to teach the child a lesson, but when they returned, Tanooka was nowhere to be found. Members of the local community have now joined the growing search, with over 100 firefighters and police officers trying to help the family find the child.

Lead image via YouTube