Japan rescuers search for boy left in forest by parents
Print Edition
JAPANESE rescuers scoured thick forest in search of a 7-year-old boy whose parents left him in mountain woods inhabited by bears as a punishment, in a case that has infuriated the public.
The parents originally told police the boy got lost on Saturday while they were hiking to gather wild vegetables but later admitted they had left him in the forest to punish him.
The boy, Yamato Tanooka, went missing in mountains on Japan’s main northern island of Hokkaido, which is inhabited by wild bears.
Yamato, his older sister, mother and father came to a park near the forest on Saturday, but the parents became angry when the boy threw stones at cars and people, police said.
On the way back home, they made Yamato get out of the car and left him alone in the forest, driving the car about 500 meters away, TV Asahi and other reports said.
“They said they went back to the site immediately, but the boy was no longer there,” a local police spokesman said.
About 180 rescuers and police officers widened the search area yesterday, mobilizing sniffer dogs and horses to go deeper into the woodlands, according to broadcaster NTV.
Footage showed scores of officers clawing through overgrown forest and tall bushes as a helicopter hovered overhead. Police searched in the dark on Sunday night with torches in hand and calling out for the boy, who was wearing a black jacket, navy blue pants and red sneakers when he disappeared, according Kyodo news agency.
“I feel very sorry for my child,” the father told NTV. “I am so sorry for causing trouble for many people.”
Police said they will look into filing neglect charges against the boy’s parents, according to Kyodo.
Japanese reacted with outrage on social media, condemning the actions of the parents. “This is not punishment but abuse!” one Twitter post read. Another added: “The parents are so stupid that I am speechless.”
Many also worried about the fate of the child in the forest, alone and reportedly with no food or water as heavy rain fell overnight.
Mitsuru Wakayama, a spokesman for the nearby town of Nanae, said local residents only occasionally pass through the mountainous area as a short cut.
“Not many people or cars pass by, and it gets totally dark as there are no lights,” Wakayama said.
“It’s not surprising to encounter bears anywhere in the area,” he added.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
