Girl, 8, permanently scarred from mould-ridden police house

An eight-year-old girl is facing lifelong scarring from a “decaying” throat after living in a house with her former police officer father.

Northern Territory Police allegedly ignored a family’s plea to remove mould in a police officer’s home that landed his eight-year-old daughter in the ICU with “decaying” throat flesh.

Sienna Santiago contracted a serious throat infection after being exposed to mould and fungus inside her Tiwi Islands home provided by the NT Police.

The family moved to Pirlangimpi in April 2017 when Sienna’s dad Stephen Thomson took up a role with the local police department.

For the next two years, Mr Thompson alleges he repeatedly reported the mould to police management, as did the remote sergeant on the island.

Sienna’s family believe her medical episode was caused by exposure to mould within the home provided to them by NT Police. Picture: Supplied

In March 2019, Sienna spent 11 days in ICU followed by five weeks at Royal Darwin Hospital and months in rehab.

“Those disabilities are possibly going to be lifelong,” Mr Thompson told 9 News.

NT Police said it worked closely with the relevant agencies and the NT Police Association to ensure members were in suitable accommodation.

“NT Police take issues relating to police housing very seriously,” a spokesman said.

Steven Thomson with his family in 2020 including daughter Sienna (bottom left). Picture: Supplied

A contractor was engaged in 2019 to provide a report on the property and a thorough clean was undertaken as a result.

The report found “very high levels of mould” throughout the house.

“We got cleaning products to clean it off as best as we could but within two weeks it leeched back out and became worse than before we cleaned,” Mr Thompson told the NT News.

“NT WorkSafe is now reviewing the matter and it’s appropriate that we leave WorkSafe to complete their inquiries,” the spokesman said.

The NT Police Association said issues with housing on Pirlangimpi have been ongoing for more than 15 years.

“The mould issue in the house used by Mr Thomson and his family was first reported to the department in 2003, some 14 years before the Thomson family first moved in,” NTPA president Paul McCue said.

“There were significant amounts of mould in the hallway and cupboards, and this is an issue which has plagued this and other houses for far too long.”

Mr McCue said when officers first raised the issue, they were told to leave the air conditioners running for 24 hours to fix the problem.

“Without pre-empting the outcome of any investigations under way, it should never take this sort of a tragic situation to highlight the need to house people appropriately if you want them working in remote areas,” he said.

The matter has been taken to the independent Commissioner Against Corruption.