HOMELESS SINGLE MUM ALLEGES SALVOS BULLYING

GEOFF VIVIAN

A Wanmulla-Yamaji woman is couch surfing with her two small children in regional WA after having to leave her Salvation Army emergency accommodation.

Originally from Meekatharra, Ms King sought refuge with the Salvos after escaping a violent relationship.

However she said “toxic behaviour” on the part of one support worker forced her to leave.

“Things like receiving phone calls from intoxicated support worker of the Salvation Army after hours, receiving … visits,” she said. “She was coming to the units after hour intoxicated, basically recruited clients of the Salvation Army to commit slander and defamation against myself.”

Ms King said she took out a restraining order against the support worker, who then took one out against her.

Ms King said the support worker also intimidated a neighbour who was also a Salvation Army tenant to fabricate detailed falsehoods about Ms King in order to discredit her.

She tells me the former neighbour invited her and support workers from two agencies to her subsequent accommodation to make this allegation, and produced documents to support it.

“And she said: ‘look, here’s all the stuff that we came up with yesterday against you’,” she said. “I said: ‘what are you doing?’ She said: ‘well basically, they’re going to not let me see my son if I don’t make up all these yarns about you.”

When Ngaarda Media asked if the matter was being investigated, Salvation Army public relations secretary Warren Palmer declined to comment.

“The Salvation Army takes all complaints seriously and investigates all matters thoroughly,” he said.

“It would be inappropriate to comment on such matters that are confidential for all parties.”