Quick response helps save unattended disabled girl in South Hills
The girl is now in safe hands.
Moffat View SAPS opened a case of neglect against a South Hills mother who left her 10-year-old disabled daughter unattended on November 15.
Lisa Harris from Special Operations Group (SOG) said their control room received a call from one of their clients that they could hear their neighbour’s child screaming the whole day. The controller on duty dispatched their reaction officer to the premises.
“When the reaction officer got there, he heard the child crying but could see nothing as all the windows were closed. He managed to open a window and saw the disabled child of about 10 years lying on a mattress on the floor under a hot duvet. She had a long-sleeved jersey on in this heat,” she said.
Harris mentioned the child was disabled and could not move to get food, water or anything.
“The reaction officer took a photo and sent it to the control room. The neighbour gave him a cellphone number to reach her mother. She answered and said she had no one to look after the child while she was at work and then put the phone down.
“I tried reporting it to the police. I found a number that deals with child protection situations called Pascoe Investigations. They contacted the SAPS but then had to visit Moffat View police station to get help for the child who needed serious medical attention.
“Gerda, the controller from SOG, phoned the mother again to tell her she needed to go to her child. She was screaming and crying, and the mother said she would go home. When the police finally arrived at the scene at about 17:55 the mother was not there yet. They sent an ambulance,” explained Harris.
“They took the girl to the Good Hope facility for the handicapped. SOG reaction officer and Pascoe Investigations will submit statements at Moffat View police station.
“The case will probably be transferred to the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (SAPS FCS) so that social workers can take over. We will issue an update as soon as more information is available from the police.”
