A restaurant has been fined $28,000 after it served two children insect repellant instead of fruit juice.
During summer 2024, sisters Hannah Lemin, 12, and Olivia, 11, went out with their parents, Marcus and Michele, to an Italian restaurant in Perth, Australia.
The family believed the girls had been given cranberry juice, but the drink was actually citronella insect repellent.
After one sip, both children immediately spat it out and told their parents it tasted like it had been contaminated.
“My daughters just went to gulp it down, and they both spat the cranberry juice out and said, ‘It’s poisoned,'” Michele told ABC.
“I said, ‘Don’t be silly,’ and took the glass, and I went to gulp it down and then spat it out.”
The family then raised the issue with staff. Marcus later alleged employees wouldn’t let him inspect the bottle, claiming it was simply “old cranberry juice.” He said he watched as it was taken from the fridge and put out of view before he asked to see it.
Afterwards, Michele said they were relieved the situation hadn’t involved younger kids, warning the outcome could have been far worse.
In an earlier interview with The West Australian, Michele described how distressed the children were in the moments after the drink was consumed.
“My husband grabbed it and looked at it and he said ‘it’s citronella oil mixed with insect repellent — you’ve poisoned them.
“I was just focused on looking after my girls. The restaurant was full but I wasn’t even aware of anyone in the restaurant. It was like, ‘Oh my god’.
“The girls were crying. There was instant burning because they swallowed it. They spat some out but they had also swallowed it. I had swallowed it too and the taste was awful.”
The girls were taken to hospital for observation. While there, they reported symptoms including headaches, a burning feeling in their stomachs, and tingling sensations.
Michele Angiuli, the former owner of Miky’s Italian Fusion, was found guilty of selling unsafe food and of failing to exercise due diligence.
The court ordered the business to pay a $40,000 AUD fine (about $28,000).
Speaking outside court, Marcus said: “I think the issue for me is more that it drives a bit more rigour in the industry and that we get to a point where maybe business owners in the hospitality industry understand the accountabilities they hold.”