A child was allegedly left in a ‘makeshift playpen’ at an industrial worksite after their father was unable to send them to daycare because of their allergies.
The father was given permission by his boss Ken Martin to bring his child onto the worksite on the Stuart Highway, in the Northern Territory.
He fixes cars for a living and was unable to miss a day of work after he was unable to find a suitable daycare centre for his child.
The hardworking father set up a makeshift playpen with mats placed on the ground in the enclosed structure for his child, Sky News reported.
A contractor spotted the playpen last week and reported the issue to Territory Families and NT WorkSafe, describing the structure as a ‘cage’.
Mr Martin described the outcry as a ‘storm in a tea cup’ and rubbished claims the 3.5m-by-2.5m playpen was a ‘cage’.
A child was allegedly left in a ‘makeshift playpen’ at an industrial worksite after their father was unable to send them to daycare because of their allergies
‘We have an industrial business,’ he said. ‘If you have a child here, they must be safe.’
The child is understood to be between two and three years old.
Mr Martin said the set-up had allowed the father to look after his son for 12 months.
Daycare centres have since offered to look after the child so the father can continue to work and make ends meet.
Police attended the industrial site, which cannot be named for legal reasons, on May 14.
A Territory Families spokeswoman said the agency was aware of the matter and is investigating.
‘The safety of children is our top priority, and we take seriously any allegation of child harm,’ she said.
Under mandatory reporting rules in the Northern Territory, a person must report their concerns if they believe a ‘child is being, or has been, harmed or abused’.
‘This includes police who can report suspected harm to our department,’ the spokeswoman said.
Darwin businessman Ken Martin described the outcry as a ‘storm in a tea cup’ and rubbished claims the 3.5m-by-2.5m playpen was a ‘cage’
‘We work with children, families, communities, police and relevant agencies to assess and respond to any reports of suspected harm to children.’
One witness, who asked to not be named, said the toddler was in the secured area to prevent them ‘running around the worksite’.
‘Because three-year-olds climb over playpens all the time… it’s so they didn’t wander around,’ they told NT News.
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