Video of Parents Locking Toddler in Washing Machine Circulates The Internet, Prank Or Punishment?

A disturbing video of two parents locking their toddler in a washing machine at a laundromat, allegedly as punishment, is making the rounds on the Internet.

The video entitled, Parenting Fail at a Laundromat, was uploaded by YouTube user PrincessZenbra on Friday and has since garnered six million views along with placement on social news website Reddit. The YouTube user said the parents put the child in the washing machine to scare him, but instead the toddler became trapped as the wash cycle began.

Couple put their baby in the machine to scare him but it turned out to be a bad idea as the machine had auto lock system and it took the child for a spin, PrincessZenbra wrote in the video description on YouTube.

The toddler suffered minor injuries and is safe, according to the person who uploaded the video.

The video is silent surveillance footage captured in the laundromat with a May 11, 2012 timestamp. Two people, presumably the mother and father of the child, are seen placing the toddler head first in the front load washing machine labeled Junior Wash: $2.95 and closing the door. The washer door then locks automatically, trapping the toddler inside as the wash cycle begins.

Struggling to open the door, water begins to fill the washing machine where the child is trapped. Eventually, an attendant at the laundromat is enlisted to help free the child and manually turns off the machine in order to free the toddler.

So far, the names of the parents and the child have not been made known. It is also unclear whether or not there will be an investigation for the incident.

Sadly, this is not the first case where a child was locked in a washing machine. Back in March, Ollie Hebb, an 18-month old baby, drowned after being trapped in a washing machine. Similarly, a three-year-old died in France when his father placed him inside a washing machine as punishment.