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Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Police have arrested a South Korean couple whose toddler starved to death while they were raising a virtual child online, authorities said.

The couple fed their 3-month-old daughter once a day between marathon stretches in a local Internet cafe, where they were raising a virtual child in the fantasy role-playing game Prius Online, police told local reporters Friday.

Prius Online is a 3-D game in which players nurture an online companion, Anima, a young girl with mysterious powers who grows and increases her skills as the game progresses.

Police have not identified the 41-year-old father and 25-year-old mother, who lived in Suwon, a suburb south of Seoul. But the father apologized, speaking to reporters.

"I wish that she hadn't got sick and that she will live well in heaven forever. And as the father, I am sorry," he said.

The baby reportedly died five months ago.

Full Story Link: Police: Couple nurtured virtual child while real baby starved - CNN.com

That is just messed up. People use "anything" for an excuse to bloody escape. What in the hades happened to our coping skills have we become so pathetic that we just run away from the real life.

Sure life can be overwhelming throughout many circumstances I get that, but :-5 holy crap.

As parents that should be our number one priority at all cost... raising our children that we have given birth to. Ugh.... just blows my mind.

Just proof again that not everyone should be parents. Tragic, sad and that poor baby must have suffered as she starved to death.



They should let the parents go without food for a week or so and see how they feel.

This couple should have stuck with "virtual children" instead of having a real one. :-5:-5

Actually this story sparks an interesting debate...

Perhaps Prius helps more than the game harms in teachining a far greater percentage on how to raise a child, in a divinly respectable manner of course, compared to those that lose touch with reality ultimately starving their own children due to the added "responsibility"!

:yh_eyerol!