Police Investigate '5-year-old Cannabis User'

[garywmeyerhoff]

Police investigate '5-year-old cannabis user'

 

From http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1080661.htm

 

Northern Territory police have confirmed they are investigating whether a five-year-old smoked cannabis in a Darwin home.

 

A photograph of the child, along with another of two 13-year-old girls apparently smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol, were published in the NT News newspaper on Thursday.

 

A police spokeswoman says officers received the photos from the Northern Territory Department of Family and Community Services on Friday and an investigation has started.

 

Territory Community Services Minister Marion Scrymgour told Parliament last week the newspaper story was disturbing and her department took appropriate action immediately.

 

The police spokeswoman says operational officers are handling the matter.

[garywmeyerhoff]

NT News reporter pays for 5-year-old dope pics

 

By Gary Meyerhoff

Darwin, 5th April 2004

 

Northern Territory News police reporter Edith Bevin, author of such classics as “Girl, 5, makes bong in class”, has admitted paying for development of photographs supposedly depicting a 5 year old girl smoking Cannabis.

 

The photographs were placed on page one of the Northern Territory News on Thursday the 1st of April as part of the classic anti-gunja beat-up “Girl, 5, smokes dope”.

 

In the article Bevin wrote, “The Northern Territory News has obtained photographs that show the five-year-old girl preparing to light a bong in a house in Palmerston.”

 

She reported that “The neighbour, who admits to being a drug user, said the five-year-old girl helped herself to the bong.”

 

I have spoken to the neighbour, who I will call Irene, to protect her identity.

 

Irene informed me today that the photograph was taken approximately eight months ago. Despite telling the NT News that she saw the girl pick up the bong, Irene has informed me that she was not at home when the photographs were taken.

 

The film was not developed until last week, when NT News reporter Edith Bevin gave Irene the money to develop it.

 

Bevin has since handed the photographs over to police.

 

In a follow-up article on April 3, the NT News said “The Northern Territory News wishes to point out that the photos of children with drugs were not taken by our staff. They were supplied by a neighbour.”

 

The photos were supplied by a neighbour, after Bevin had provided the money to have the film developed. Bevin reportedly told Irene “those photos belong to me because I paid for the development”.

 

Irene reported that the situation was the result of an ongoing neighbourhood dispute between two Palmerston families. Irene, and the girl’s mother, were good friends until a dispute between their children.

 

Another classic beat-up aided and abetted by a newspaper that is hell bent on beating up on pot smokers.

 

The gutter press flagship, “A Current Affair” has also joined in the frenzy, flying a film crew up to Darwin on the weekend to talk to Irene and the mother of the 5-year-old.

 

Irene and her children were given movie tickets from the nice A Current Affair producer.

 

You can see Irene and her kids on A Current Affair tonight or tomorrow night.

________________________

 

Gary Meyerhoff is a freelance journalist and an active member of the Darwin based Network Against Prohibition (http://www.napnt.org). He can be contacted on 0415 16 2525.

 

For more info see:

 

Mum quizzed over drugs (NT News Saturday 3rd April 2004)

 

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n526/a07.html?45407

 

Girl, 5, smokes dope

 

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n519/a04.html?45407

 

Girl, 5, makes bong in class

 

http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n1485/a02.html?46069

 

And the ABC on the bandwagon too

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1080661.htm

 

More Edith Bevin classics at

 

http://www.mapinc.org/find?AK=Bevin%2C+Edi...&MM1=1&YY1=1997

[Guest Finnigan]

Irene and her children were given movie tickets from the nice A Current Affair producer.

 

tight bastards! i bet you couldn't use the tickets on a saturday night, either.