Mother in Liepāja leaves 10-year-old son without food and supervision for nearly two days

Last week, officers of the State Police received information about possible neglect of child care duties in Liepāja. It was established that a woman had been visiting friends since June 9 at 5:00 PM, consuming alcohol, and had not returned home for nearly two days. During this time, her 10-year-old son was left alone without food or adult supervision, with only phone contact from his mother.

When police arrived at the apartment in the station district around 11:50 PM on June 10, the mother was found with a blood alcohol concentration of 2.77 promille. She answered questions unclearly, contradicted herself, and could not recall her son's date of birth or when she had arrived at the apartment. The boy was brought to the scene by a friend of the mother, who had picked him up from a bus stop. The mother claimed the child had been fed dumplings, but in the apartment where she was staying, the refrigerator contained only alcohol bottles, the floors were sticky, and the air smelled of cigarettes and alcohol.

Police also inspected the mother and child's home in the Tosmare neighborhood, finding unsanitary conditions: cockroaches and other insects crawling on walls, floors, furniture, and inside the refrigerator. The apartment was cluttered with empty alcohol bottles and had a strong cigarette smell. The boy appeared underweight for his age and height, with very pale skin, though no physical injuries were observed.

The State Police has initiated an administrative proceeding against the mother for failure to fulfill child care duties. The case materials have been submitted to the Liepāja Municipal Administrative Commission for a decision on the penalty. The child has been placed in a safe environment.