Custodial dad fined because of filthy house; children now living with Mum (Newcastle, Australia)

UNNAMED DAD, who appears to have been custodial, has been fined for allowing his 3 children to live in squalid conditions. It was so bad, that the "children shared a bed with their father in the living room because there were dog faeces on the bedroom floors." Take away from what you will from that. But it gives me the willies in more ways than one. And it's not that Daddy ran out of time to clean or tidy up, because he was unemployed. Of course you may not have much motivation to get a job when you're high all the time either (cannabis was found in the home).

We're told the children are now living with their mother. Excuse me for saying so, but if the Child Wellbeing Unit folks found the mother's home acceptable, then WHY THE HELL WERE THESE KIDS SLEEPING IN ONE BED WITH CREEPER/DEADBEAT/POTHEAD DAD SURROUNDED BY SH**? There are some serious unanswered questions here that the media is refusing to ask, much less answer.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/newcastle-father-fined-on-house-of-filth/1865587.aspx

Newcastle father fined on house of filth
BY STEPHEN RYAN AND DONNA PAGE
23 Jun, 2010 04:00 AM

A VICTIMS of crime advocate said it was an outrage that a father was fined $800 yesterday for allowing his children to live in squalid conditions that included human faeces being stored in plastic bags.

Robyn Cotterell-Jones, executive director of the Victims of Crime Assistance League, said government agencies and the Family Court should have intervened sooner to protect the children instead of a criminal court fining the unemployed father who would probably struggle to pay the $800.

The father, who cannot be identified, pleaded guilty in Newcastle Local Court yesterday to child neglect.

Magistrate Elaine Truscott said the offence was "clearly serious" but the maximum penalty was only a fine.

The man was charged after the Department of Housing home in a Newcastle suburb smelt so "noxious" that police had to suspend a search of the premises on May 20 for the sake of their own health, a police statement said.

The toilet was broken and full of human waste, none of the lights worked and the home was infested with cockroaches.

The children, aged 10, 12 and 14, shared a bed with their father in the living room because there were dog faeces on the bedroom floors.

Police were alerted to the home after Department of Housing inspectors visited the premises to check the smoke alarms and other electrical items.

The 14-year-old boy tried to stop the inspectors from entering and cried when they insisted on going inside.

His siblings were not there at the time.

As well as faeces being found throughout the home, there were piles of unwashed clothes, rubbish and dirty dishes in the kitchen, newspapers on the floor and evidence of cannabis use.

There were broken doors and holes in the walls.

Various government agencies were alerted, including the Child Wellbeing Unit, and the children have been residing with their mother, a police statement said.

Ms Cotterell-Jones said she hoped the community was as outraged as she was that children were living in such conditions.

"We as a community, neighbours, teachers, family and friends, need to be far more vigilant and be prepared to intervene even though at times it can be a difficult decision and the bigger issue for the courts is they need to start taking notice of people's incapacity to parent and do something about it," she said.

The father was living with friends while the home was made habitable again, a police statement said.

Defence solicitor Mat Unwin said the father was cleaning the home and appreciated that children should be not be exposed to such conditions.