Sep 28, '07 4:06 PM
for loretta's contacts
THIS IS AN INTERNET PICTURE NOT A PHOTO OF THE CHILD IN QUESTION.
I don't think I need remind any one about the incident in the summer where a three year old girl stood an a discarded hypodermic needle in her own garden!!.
Letters have been written to just about anyone and everyone who will listen. They all make the appropriate noises and send sympathetic and supportive letters of response. Some of those letters showed a genuine concern and eagerness to help but to date the situation remains the same. The family in question have not been offered alternative accommodation. The junkie next door continues to deal her drugs to the dregs of society who loiter continuously outside in the street. A couple of weeks ago she was arrested and charged, but within hours she was back home living in the midst of decent families trying to bring their children up in securely and safely. She has now started dealing her drugs again. Some of her regular customers were seen earlier today going into her flat, presumably to buy their daily drugs. Nothing changes. The two Housing Associations who were contacted with regard to alternative accommodation have responded by saying this family does not qualify for any special treatment. They are not a priority and will be given no special consideration, as far as the Housing Associations are concerned this family is adequately housed and do not have any special needs. The Housing officer from the Local Authority who is supposed to be in charge of this particular area of housing has not even bothered to visit the family. The local authority do not consider them to have any special circumstances or to be in special need. The child in question remembers her ordeal at the hospital and still on occasions wets the bed. This young mother has said from the very start of all this that she did not wish to 'go public', she preferred to deal with things via the official channels. So much for that idea.
Earlier today I bought a copy of our small, local, weekly newspaper. And what do I see on the front page??? A story of two young boys age six and seven who were 'pricked by a discarded hypodermic needle'. The boys were apparently playing in a local children's park when they found and were 'pricked' by the needle. When the boy's father realized what had happened he raised the alarm and was told to take them directly to the nearest major hospital. These boys have had blood tests and have started a painful course of injections to protect then from Hepatitis B, this is all a very familiar story, yes, we have heard this one before. I have been in contact with the young mother concerned and with the journalist who wrote the story. Unsurprisingly he was very, very interested in our story. I could hear the keyboard going as I spoke to him. I have emailed him copies of all the letters written and details of all the responses. We didn't particularly want to go to press with this but, well, what option is left??
Maybe publicity will elicit action whereas reasoned and polite letters seemed to have failed.
Tags: disgarded needles, mental health, health, 360 import
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