Pubdate: Thu, 3 Dec 1998
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Copyright: 1998 David Syme & Co Ltd 
Author: Nicole Brady

A MOTHER, CHILD AND A DONE DEAL. WHAT NOW FOR THIS BABY?

Child protection workers last night were seeking a Children's Court order
in relation to a child whose mother was secretly filmed allegedly selling
heroin on a St Kilda street.

A Human Services spokesman said the workers made a protection application
to the court after seeing footage of the woman covertly filmed by Channel
10 news.

A police spokesman said yesterday that the woman had been arrested two days
ago and an investigation was continuing.

In the footage, the woman carried the nine-month-old child as she
apparently sold heroin to several different people. The mother appeared to
be operating from a flat on a leafy St Kilda street.

The people who appeared to be her clients were on foot or driving. One man
was filmed injecting himself before driving away.

At one point the woman handed her child to another woman as she appeared to
be conducting a drugs transaction.

The department spokesman last night was unable to ascertain the
magistrate's decision.

A co-director at Jesuit Social Services, Mr Bernie Geary, questioned the
appropriateness of the department's actions.

``There are a lot of people in the community who are using heroin and
raising a family ... if we're going to start (making protection
applications for children of) all substance abusers we should start with
people who abuse alcohol,'' he said.

He also condemned the depiction of one individual. ``We know that there are
many, many young mothers who are using heroin - it's a fact. ``Why would
people think that for some reason they would be a section of the community
not to be touched by the problem?''

Welfare agencies said yesterday a number of young Melbourne mothers were
caught up in the heroin trade.

A Salvation Army spokesman, Mr John Dalziel, said the attention would
probably force the mother to move from her St Kilda home. The family would
therefore lose contact with any welfare agencies it might be receiving
support from.

``It is trial by media. What's going to happen to this woman now?''

Channel 10's news manager, Mr Dermot O'Brien, yesterday defended his
decision to broadcast footage that identified the mother and her child.

``The child was always a concern for us, that was always a factor as I said
this morning on radio. But at the end of the day the mother had put the
child at risk herself,'' Mr O'Brien said.

``Obviously children were at risk or else Human Services wouldn't have
reacted in the way they have.''

The president of Liberty Victoria, Ms Felicity Hampel, QC, said last night
that surveillance was a police duty.

``No matter how you might talk about the motives ... whether it's to do
with getting publicity or whether it's to do with a genuine concern about
what's happening - it's getting very close to vigilantism.''
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Checked-by: derek rea