Charges against a father accused of falsely claiming his child was undergoing cancer treatment to raise money have been dropped, while the child’s mother now faces 72 charges.
Both parents had originally been charged with an aggravated count of an act likely to cause harm and one count of deception. However, in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, those charges were dropped against the father, meaning all accusations against him have been cleared.
A prosecutor informed the court that new information had been presented, leading to 72 charges being filed against the mother, 44, who appeared via video link, visibly upset, and holding her head in her hands.
Court documents reveal that the charges against the mother include one count of criminal neglect, 57 counts of deceiving others to benefit herself, and 14 counts of dishonestly dealing with property.
The documents indicate that the mother had a duty of care to the boy, who suffered harm as a result of her actions. It is alleged that she was, or should have been, aware of the significant risk of harm her actions posed, yet failed to take appropriate steps to protect the child. The court documents argue that her failure to act was severe enough to warrant criminal penalties.
The mother is accused of deceiving people into giving money ranging from $10 to $3,000 between November 21 and December 12, 2022. It is alleged that on each occasion, the mother “deceived” the donors and “dishonestly benefited herself.”
In total, the documents state that the mother’s actions involved more than $20,000 in deceitful transactions.
Earlier court hearings revealed that the six-year-old boy had his head and eyebrows shaved and was placed in a wheelchair with bandages to create the appearance that he had undergone radiotherapy. It was also previously claimed that $60,000 had been raised for his medical treatment during a two-week period.
Outside the court, the father’s lawyer, Melanie Hrvatin, expressed her satisfaction with the outcome, saying she was “extremely happy” with the decision.
The mother is expected to enter pleas when the case returns to court in August.
