Pubdate: Tue, 25 Jan 2005
Source: Advertiser, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 Advertiser Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1
Author: Greg McLean
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)

NAPPY EXAMINED IN MARIJUANA RAID

Northern Territory police officers searched two tots - one of them a 
seven-month-old baby - during a drug raid, it was revealed last night.

The children's mother said she will lodge an official complaint with the 
Ombudsman over the incident.

Tracy Castine told the Northern Territory News last night that police had 
examined the two tots' nappies explaining they were looking for drugs.

The complaint surrounds the actions of five uniformed police and three 
detectives during the search of a Katherine residence.

"They didn't even ask my permission to search the nappies and that's what 
upset me the most," Tracy, 17, said.

Tracy, who did not live at the address, was visiting with her two sons - 
17-month-old Hayden and seven-month-old Travis - and only arrived minutes 
before police executed the raid late last Friday night.

"I thought it was just ridiculous that they would open up the nappies like 
that looking for drugs," she said.

"It's a seven-month-old baby for Christ's sake, I'm not that stupid as a 
mother. What do they take people for these days?"

"They looked like idiots going through my kids' nappies like that."

Police searched the entire house but turned up no drugs.

Tracy said her sister lived at the house but had been in Darwin the whole 
day with her boyfriend and was still not home when police arrived.

"It was just my other sister and a mate of ours," she said.

"The police told us afterwards they had received information that marijuana 
was being sold from the house earlier that day.

"But my sister who lives there was not even at home all day and we 
obviously didn't have any drugs on us or they would have found it."

Tracy said she plans to contact Northern Territory Ombudsman Peter Boyce 
and register an official complaint over the way the search was conducted.

NT Police could not comment on the incident.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager