Darwin’s Ken Martin addresses claims child kept in cage at industrial site

A Darwin businessman has rejected accusations a young child was kept locked in a cage at his industrial property. SEE THE PHOTOS.

A Darwin businessman has rejected accusations a young child was kept locked in a cage at his industrial property.

Ken Martin told Sky News the story – which has made international headlines – was all “a storm in a teacup”.

He said rather than being locked in a cage, the four-year-old boy had been put in a makeshift playpen to keep him safe while his father worked at the property.

“The reason he had him here, the lad, was because none of the childcare (centres) would take him because he had some food allergies,” he said.

Darwin businessman Ken Martin in front of the playpen set up at his industrial worksite. Picture: Matt Cunningham/Sky News

“We said he could be here but he had to be safe.”

Mr Martin said the boy’s father – who is not an employee of his business but works restoring cars at his property – had constructed a playpen using pool fencing and gym mats to keep the child safe while his father worked nearby.

“There’s good airflow it’s not a hot box it’s an open shed and the kid was safe,” he said.

But last week they were alarmed when six police cars arrived at the property.

Mr Martin suspects they were alerted by a contractor who had been at the site and seen the boy.

“They didn’t say anything to anybody here they just put it in,” he said.

“I don’t know what was in the person’s mind but it was a non-event.”

Police have told Sky News they do not believe any criminality has occurred and are no longer investigating the matter.

The story of the NT child locked in a makeshift cage made international news. Matt Cunningham/Sky News

However, NT WorkSafe and the Department of Territory Families Housing and Communities are investigating.

“The safety of children is our top priority and we take seriously any allegation of child harm,” the department said in a statement.

“We are aware of this matter and are looking into it.”

Mr Martin said this was not a story about child abuse, but about a hardworking father doing all he could to make ends meet in a cost-of-living crisis.

Mr Martin said he and his wife had sponsored the man to migrate to Australia from Sudan 20 years ago.

He said the man worked as a security guard at night, then looked after his son during the day while his wife was at work.

But he also worked a second job during the day fixing cars, and was forced to take his son to work because of a shortage of adequate childcare places.

“(The department is) assisting with trying to get him into a childcare close to his home,” he said.