Seaton woman avoids prison after facing court on six counts of child neglect
Cockroaches crawling through holes in the walls and putrid smells so bad they made police officers feel ill were just some of the shocking living conditions for six children.
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A Seaton woman has avoided prison after her six children were found living in squalor in a Taperoo home last year.
The 36-year-old woman faced the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday, charged with six counts of failing to provide food or accommodation to a child.
The woman’s six children, aged between 3 and 16, were removed from her care by the Department of Child Protection in October 2019.
After the children were removed, police attended the home and found piles of rubbish, discarded clothes and toys in every room.
There were cockroaches and spiders climbing through holes in the walls and the floors were sticky and dirty.
The children were sleeping on a stained fold-out couch and stained mattresses.
One of the mattresses was so badly stained it was black and the smell made attending police officers feel ill.
Police found mouldy food scraps in the kitchen but no fresh food in the house.
The woman, who was pregnant at the time, told police she knew the house was disgusting.
“She was obviously distressed and horrified at what the police found at the property,” the woman’s lawyer said.
The woman had since undergone weekly counselling, drug and alcohol screening and parenting courses.
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Her oldest child was living with her again and she was working with the Department of Child Protection to reunite with her other children.
In sentencing, Magistrate John Wells said the woman’s efforts to work with the Department and counselling services meant imprisonment was not necessary.
“I accept that you are genuinely sorry for your behaviour,” he said.
“These are crimes of failing to do things rather than positive intentional criminal actions.”
The woman was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond.