An arrest warrant has been issued for a woman accused of leaving four children living among faeces and grime in a north Canberra home described as "the worst house of squalor" a Housing ACT worker has seen in her 20 years of experience.
The defendant faces eight counts of child neglect and a number of animal-related charges, including cruelty, and was scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday for a mental impairment-related application.
A prosecution document previously tendered to court states that the woman was the sole carer for the children when they lived at the Housing ACT property.
The first signs of squalor emerged in September 2021 when the property's manager saw, from outside, that the curtains were "completely black with mould".
This prompted the concerned manager to call Child and Youth Protection Services.
A man then attended the property about four months later in response to complaints of a water leak.
He arranged for the water to be shut off and the woman and her children were moved to temporary accommodation at a hotel.
When the man eventually entered the home, he is said to have begun "gagging due to the smell of rotten food and faeces".
After the man submitted a report detailing $113,000 worth of repairs required at the property, its manager and a tenancy support officer visited the place in February 2022.
On the premises, they apparently found two scared dogs with no food or water. According to police, the animals began eating "like there was no tomorrow" when they were given food.
Rangers removed the dogs and the two Housing ACT workers entered the house in full personal protective equipment.
Inside, the property manager "saw faeces embedded into the floor, a high chair that was so dirty she would not even put a dog in it let alone a toddler", filthy floors, dirty mattresses and "grime everywhere".
"[The tenancy support officer] has worked in frontline services for 20 years, and yet described [the home] as being the worst house of squalor she has ever seen," the prosecution document states.
Police further allege they found two of the "visibly dirty" children "freezing" at the hotel to which the family had relocated.
The defendant did not attend the latest court session.
Her lawyer, Darryl Perkins, said he tried to contact her during "the past month and a bit without any luck".
He said, however, that of the 10 court sessions, this was the first time she did not appear.
"I've got no explanation why she's not here," Mr Perkins said.
"My own inquiries indicated that she is in the jurisdiction, but she's simply not talking to the psychiatrist that has been engaged ... for unexplained reasons."
"She appears to have some mental health issues."
He asked the court for more time to find the defendant and to "encourage her to attend court".
Prosecutor Elizabeth Wren said the only available course was to issue an arrest warrant.
Ms Wren said these charges have been ongoing since last March and that "no substantial progress has been made".
She said the latest session was the second time it was listed for a mental impairment-related application and that their information suggested the defendant had not "completely disappeared".
Chief magistrate Lorraine Walker issued a warrant for the woman's arrest.
Ms Walker said this was based on the defendant's lack of communication with her lawyer and the failure to attend court despite it appearing she was still in the jurisdiction.
The court heard there will be a Children's Court hearing in March related to the care of the woman's children.
