Little Falls house party has community raging for proper enforcement

Uncontrollable teenage energies test the judgement of parental guidance.

A beautiful home growing in notoriety strikes an imposing figure on the slopes of New Chum Street. Babylon Mansion, as the house is known to social media followers, played host to a party on April 8 which drew the attention of neighbours and police. The fallout of this has seen the mobilisation of a community and a mother of three defending what she is allowed to permit in her own home.

Social media posts featuring videos and photos of exuberant young people creating the noise and commotion that echoed through the suburb have residents questioning the legality of the party. The homeowner defends the party, stating that attendees were all known to each other in some way and were dropped off by their parents and friends. She also claims the only complaints about her home have come from strangers.

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The Saturday night event was promoted on social media platforms with tickets available on a popular ticket-purchasing website, Howler. The details on the Howler advert for the April 8 event came with an age restriction of ’15+’, with a link for ticket sales being shared on multiple sites advertising ‘free alcohol between 5pm and 7pm’. For an added cost, attendees could purchase vapes, hookah pipes and even stargazing from the roof.

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Owner of Babylon Mansion, Andrea Mey, stated that she was unaware the event was being promoted online in such a way. Andrea claims to be under the impression that associates of her daughter, all aspiring social media influences and young entrepreneurs looking to break into the entertainment industry, were hosting an event at the house. Andrea was and has been present at the house for all events, supervising in person as well as monitoring the various CCTV cameras around the property.

Andrea admits there was alcohol at the party but claims the average ages of those in her house were from 17 to at most 25 and knew her 17 and 20-year-old daughters. Andrea says the gathering was kept to the front of the house where everyone was visible and all the doors of the upstairs room were locked and would require assistance to be unlocked.
“I just want kids to be kids. I would rather have them socialise in a controlled environment where I can be there if anything goes wrong,” said Andrea.

The event was marketed as beginning at 16:00 and by 22:00 Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) were responding to noise complaints at the property. Upon arrival, JMPD is alleged to have been provided with a wad of documentation stating the ongoings at Babylon Mansion were above board. Accepting the explanation of the welcome table which was collecting tickets and stamping attendees, the JMPD officers left.

Police and JMPD returned after concerns about a possibly missing girl who had snuck out of her home to attend the party and when officers forced their way onto the property, chaos ensued. Onlooking neighbours stated how the crowd inside attacked the officers, resulting in them retaliating with pepper spray. Andrea herself stated that male guests were punched by police and her younger daughter’s eyes were spared direct contact with pepper spray only by her glasses.

Watching from the street, residents recall how they could see in the top floor window of the multi-story house a barely dressed young female dancing for a row of young men at the same time police were entering the premises. Earlier, two girls had sought assistance several houses from Babylon Mansion, making allegations of sexual assault. The girls, who claimed to be 14 and 15, could not be convinced to report the incident to the police, instead asking to be returned to their homes in Dainfern.

Less than a block away, another set of intoxicated teens was given refuge at a house adjacent to Montrose Avenue on condition that they phoned their parents to collect them. Babylon Mansion has held several parties in 2023, including on March 25 as well as a rowdy New Year’s Eve bash. Residents claim both events forced cars to park all the way to the top of the cul-de-sac, drunk young people turning their street into an adult playground.

Residents who live near Babylon Mansion did not wish to be named individually for fear of retaliation but all corroborated each other’s version of events. Another party is currently being advertised for May 6 and this has promoted residents to coordinate their response. A meeting was held in New Chum Street on April 12 to discuss solutions, beginning with the signing of a petition that called for the investigation of the sale of alcohol at the premises and the meeting out of the appropriate punishment.

No criminal cases have been opened concerning any event at Babylon Mansion and JMPD has acknowledged a request for their input on the possible by-law infringements. Questions were also posed to Howler which has indicated a response by April 13.

Those believed to be the unofficial hosts of the party were contacted on April 11 and initially expressed their eagerness to address community complaints and answer questions about their role in the event. Unfortunately, no response to claims of underage drinking and sexual assault nor an opportunity to defend their promotions has since been responded to.