Police in Tokushima have arrested an unemployed 26-year-old man for abusing his 3-year-old son after it was discovered that he had been keeping the boy restrained on a 1.2-meter-long dog leash which was tied to a window frame inside his apartment.
Police said the man, identified as Shogo Yamashita, was arrested on Feb 15. Fuji TV reported Wednesday that the boy's situation was discovered after an acquaintance of Yamashita came over to the house and saw the boy tied up. He contacted police.
A neighbor told reporters, "I am truly shocked. The couple living there fought every now and again, but they always made up. Every time I saw him out and about, he was smiling."
Yamashita was quoted by police as saying, "One day last year when I went to clean up the room, the boy had thrown his food everywhere making such a mess. Ever since then, I decided to tie him up in order to discipline him and teach him a lesson."
Police said Yamashita's wife told them there were other times when her husband would strike the boy on the hands and on the head.
© Japan Today
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Bear27840
Place him in a publicly viewed cell with a leash and collar locked on his neck and to a cell bar for one year as punishment for doing this to a child.
kaimycahl
The boy is young and throwing food, the kid may have not known any better, the story didn't say How many times he has thrown food everywhere. The parents seem to argue and make up maybe the father is frustrated with the child behavior and this could be the reason for the parents fighting but still this is no reason to hit the child. The child may have some disorders that both parents should look into.
fishy
Amidalism-
she actually admitted that she's done it, too (was on the news tonight)... both parents are guilty.
Cos
We don't need to "think" and "bet" like you do. We know there were over 60 000 cases reported in a 2012. "Only" half as in the US. Of course, the US has its unique poverty issue (with a class they let rot in trailer camps without the basics to raise kids). Developed nation with a proper welfare system can't be in their league. The Japanese figure used to be a little lower than most Europeans but it's beating new records every year. You'll see 2013's in a a few months. J-authorities have started intervening in domestic violence and abuse at school very recently, less than a decade ago. It's still under-reported.
Chantella Jackson
I know I'm gonna get downvoted a bunch for this, but I fail to understand the downvotes on all the people who are saying this is wrong. This IS wrong, regardless if it was in Japan or any other country. I am half Japanese, I am not offended by the people saying putting your child on a leash like this is wrong because it is. I don't understand why speaking against it is a bad thing. It's not fair to the boy to side with the father or basically make it like it's not that bad...I really do hope the boy is okay.
Amidalism
What about his wife? Is she going to be arrested too? She ought to be seeing as how she didn't seem to have any problems with what he was doing. I hope that the poor child is removed from the family, but as is the case most of them time here I'm sure we will see this guy getting a short or suspended sentence then given access to the child again who he will most likely punish even harder than before resulting in his death. Child protective services in this country are a joke.
Richard Wood
Many of you think Japan has a high incident rate of child abuse. What you fail to grasp is these cases are from all of Japan. In Va, just in the "local" area you hear about child abuse on almost a daily basis. To say Japan has a higher rate of child abuse then say the US is just ludicrous. I would say it would be a safe bet that there is more child abuse daily in the US then there is every 6 months in Japan. That being said, one case of child abuse is one case to many.
Cos
I hope it's not Cleo's grand-kid. She was explaining us that was better to put your kid on a leash than let an accident happen...
No. Yesterday, my 5 yr old niece was at home and demonstrated me how you can kill someone (like oneself) by putting a USB cord around the neck and then, she was saying that she could pull it... Not a surprise, that's in the list of the most common domestic accidents. Any leach would do the trick. Never ever let a kid alone with any kind of rope.
It seems she told after the police went there to ask. Otherwise, she was waiting the kid's 20th birthday... in case he didn't die of abuse before.
Tahoochi
DisillusionedFeb. 26, 2014 - 03:40PM JST
There is a sickness IN THE WORLD when it comes to treating kids like crap. No doubt there is clearly a problem of child abuse in Japan, but you say it as though it's only Japan. How could you be so short-sighted? All one has to do is google "child abuse" in the news, and you get all sorts of cases everyday, every hour, every minute. As long as there are people like this acquaintance who called the cops, we can fight the abuse. Good for him.
Fukuppy
In all fairness, it doesn't say why he felt the need to restrain the child.
Lowly
The neighbors are always truly shocked. The guy was always quiet and polite, or had a nice smile. This is true everywhere.
I think the neighbors need stop naively believing their smiles, and try to get a deeper read on body language and behavior. These abusers/ criminals etc are not all super-ninja. They are just fooling you cuz you let them.
wontond
Surprising that this fool did not think tying-up his child up, while entertaining a guest, would raise eyebrows.
NathalieB
Tessa I think there is a world of difference between a specifically-designed child harness intended to keep a child out of danger when outside which many people have used and still do use, and a dog harness of only 1.2m long being used to restrain a child indoors.
nath
Um, no.
Thunderbird2
I don't think this is specifically a Japanese thing, I think it happens all over the world - it just gets reported here more?
Tessa
Poor little boy, tied up like that. I sometimes think that Japanese people treat their pets better than their children.
By the way, my mother told me that I was kept on a leash when I was a toddler. She said that it was quite common in those days for small children to be attached to their mothers (whenever outdoors) with a special harness and leash, to ensure that they didn't run off unaccompanied. I just cannot believe it even now.
FightingViking
Did he use a "dog collar" ? Or a "harness" ? With the former he may no longer have had to worry about his child's misbehaviour... Since he is "unemployed", he would be worrying about the funeral costs...
HE should be the one working so that his wife can take care of their son. (They still need a lot of construction workers "up north"...)
Knox Harrington
Sad. Another nutter in the making, thanks to his subhuman father. Not good.
HonestBloke
One day last year and up to now? I don't think this is about discipline and teaching a lesson anymore. I think its about your convenience buddy.
StormR
WTF another mongrel child abuser, damn this country needs to learn some parenting skills and take this seriously, would not surprise me part of the high suicide rate is a result of kids having to deal with child abuse previously and opting out of the abuse the only way the can.
I would love to be in charge of the prison these mongrels are sent to.
James Dean Jnr.
Hardly Original.
NZguy
Child neglect and abuse happen regularly in every society, not just Japan.
On the other hand, the Japanese do seem to have a tendency to do it in more unusual and creative ways.
David Foley
J - parenting??? Can I coin a new J-word???
Disillusioned
Oh, come on! This sick and twisted abuse of kids is becoming a daily event! What is wrong with this society? We had a scum bag run scolding hot water over his baby a few days ago, countless instances of kids being locked on balconies as punishment, kids constantly being left in cars, that crazy that was stomping on kids' feet, not to mention the many discarded newborns. Sorry, but there is a sickness in japan when it comes to kids. They treat them crap!
kimuzukashiiiii
well done to the guy who reported it to the police. I imagine few others in this country would.
The guy who did this is vile, as is the mother who allowed it to happen.