Shocking images of a teenage mother who drank for days while her baby daughter was allegedly left to die at home are touching off a firestorm of criticism on the internet.

Pictures and postings on social media were revealed showing the 18-year-old mother out drinking with friends while her 7-month-old daughter was believed to be starving to death. 

The mother posted images of herself drinking every day between May 25 and 28, while her baby was allegedly home alone in Incheon. Her social media posts drew thousands of comments, most of which slammed her for neglecting her duties as a mother and bragging about it online.

The mother and her 21-year-old husband were arrested Friday night on charges of child abuse resulting in death. The couple are also accused of abandoning the child’s body.

The child’s father initially confirmed her death around 4 p.m. on May 31. Both parents are accused of hiding the body in a box until the child’s maternal grandfather discovered it two days later.

According to the police, the couple had an argument and left home with the baby on the night of May 23. Police say the mother came back at around 9 p.m. the next day, but left again in the morning. They say the baby was then left alone until the father, who had been playing computer games with friends the whole time, returned home on May 31.

The mother updated her social media account around 11 a.m. on May 31 with a short message implying something bad had happened.

According to the preliminary autopsy results, the baby had almost no food in her stomach, suggesting she had not been fed for a long time before she died. The police are still investigating, and the cause of death has not yet been determined.


By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)