English Parents Shocked for Giving Vodka to One-Year-Old... "Still Living with Parents"

Arrested on Child Abuse Charges but Released

A woman presumed to be the mother feeding vodka to a baby / Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] A video showing a British couple giving vodka to their one-year-old child has sparked outrage.

According to the New York Post and others, after a video of a couple in Kent, UK, giving vodka to their baby was released, Kent police announced that they arrested the couple on charges of child abuse.

Earlier, a 14-second video was posted online. A woman presumed to be the child's mother pours alcohol into a vodka bottle cap, then holds the baby's neck and tilts the head back, feeding the baby alcohol as if giving medicine.

Behind them, a man wearing shorts and a training shirt stood watching the baby without intervening. Multiple media outlets reported that this man appears to be the child's father.

The baby’s face and entire body were red, as if having consumed vodka before, and the media estimated the baby to be about 8 months to 1 year old.

The video did not show what happened after the baby drank the vodka.

Police who received the report immediately launched an investigation and arrested the two on charges of child abuse at a residential area in Dover, Kent. However, they were released on bail, and the baby is reportedly still with the couple.

Overseas netizens who saw the video expressed shock. One netizen said, "It’s very sad. I posted on Facebook, but it kept getting deleted," adding, "I contacted social welfare services thinking the child was safe, but the baby is still with the parents," lamenting the situation.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Kent County Council stated as the controversy spread, "Social welfare agencies are aware of this and will take appropriate measures."