Drunk mother streams crying children on TikTok; Liepaja police remove kids from family
Residents of Liepaja alerted municipal police after spotting a heavily intoxicated woman with two young children during a TikTok live stream on Monday night. The children were placed in emergency foster care, while the mother was arrested.
Around 11 p.m. on Monday, August 3, Liepaja municipal police received a report that a woman was broadcasting a live video on TikTok while visibly intoxicated, with two small crying children visible on screen. The caller also provided the address from which the stream was coming, said Kaspars Varpins, deputy chief of the municipal police.
When officers arrived, a woman born in 1999 opened the door in an obvious state of intoxication. She immediately became aggressive and tried to force the door shut, but police could hear an infant crying inside. Entering the apartment, they noticed an unpleasant odor, scattered liquor bottles, blankets, pillows, and a plastic bucket full of cigarette butts. The floor was covered with an unknown liquid. The woman claimed she had only been drinking beer.
After being asked whether she was alone in the apartment, the woman became even more hostile. Sitting on the bed, she sat on her infant, then, holding the child, tried to strike an officer. She ignored instructions to calm down and sit. Officers had to use handcuffs to arrest her. A breathalyzer test showed 2.29 parts per thousand of alcohol.
Inside the apartment were two children—a two-year-old and a six-month-old. Emergency medical personnel were called to check their condition. The children were subsequently removed and placed in a crisis foster family. The mother was taken to the municipal police temporary holding facility, and an administrative offense process was initiated. The Orphan Court has been informed to investigate the circumstances.
