Pubdate: Sat, 03 Apr 2004
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Northern Territory News
Contact:  http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283
Author: Edith Bevin

MUM QUIZZED OVER DRUG KIDS

Police last night launched an investigation into allegations a 
five-year-old girl is using drugs.

The girl may be blood tested for drugs by health authorities.

Police were called in after the Northern Territory News voluntarily handed 
over photographs of the girl holding a bong.

Her 13-year-old sister was shown smoking a bong while her 13-year-old 
friend poured herself a glass of sherry.

Community Services assistant secretary Carol Peltola said: ``We have spoken 
with the family.

``We have forwarded the photos to the police and asked them to investigate.

``We are speaking to a pediatrician about children and drugs and what you 
should be looking for. Whether we blood test the children will be up to the 
medical advice.''

The mother of the children yesterday spoke out for the first time.

The Northern Territory News has concealed the family's identity to protect 
the children.

The mother denied she had allowed her children to use drugs.

But she admitted she had allowed them to go unaccompanied to the home of a 
neighbour who she knew was a drug user.

``I trusted this lady with my children,'' she said.

``I'm disgusted. I knew she was a user but I didn't think that she and her 
daughter were going to introduce it to my kids.''

She also admitted she had in the past gone to her neighbour's home to take 
drugs.

``I very occasionally do take drugs. My children are a little bit aware I 
take drugs but they're not sitting there when I do,'' she said.

``It's not like a daily thing _ I'm getting too old for things like that.

``Maybe once or twice I would have gone over there and done drugs with her 
in her house. I don't keep drugs in my house.''

The mother said she and her children were ``set up'' by their neighbour 
after a fight over a children's CD.

``Everything you see in that picture _ the bong and everything _ belongs to 
her,'' she said.

She denied she took the photographs. ``Her daughter took them,'' she said.

The 13-year-old sister admitted the photos of her smoking cannabis from a 
bong were not staged. Neighbours said yesterday the children rarely went to 
school.

They said the children, including the five-year-old, used obscene language.

Neighbours also claimed they had witnessed evidence of alcohol abuse.

The mother denied she had an alcohol problem.

But she admitted her children did not go to school regularly.

The mother said Family and Community Services first became involved with 
her family after she called them in because of an abusive ex-partner.

She said she had not had any contact with FACS since last year. ``They were 
quite happy with the way things were,'' she said. ``I think I'm a good mum. 
I don't do it easy _ I'm single with three kids. I go through my hard times 
but I always get back up and back on my feet. My kids are fine.''

The Northern Territory News wishes to point out that the photos of children 
with drugs were not taken by our staff. They were supplied by a neighbour.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart