A couple accused of asking Australians to pay for bogus cancer treatments for their young son allegedly shaved his head and eyebrows and put him in a wheelchair.
The Adelaide couple, both aged 44, from the city’s western suburbs, were charged on Friday with criminal negligence and deception offences.
Police will allege the pair raised $60,000 in two weeks for the six-year-old’s ongoing “cancer treatments” before they were arrested.
The couple allegedly shaved the boy’s head and eyebrows and forced him to travel in a wheelchair as part of the alleged cancer scam.
Bandages that mimicked those given to radiotherapy patients were also apparently placed on the six-year-old’s head.
A friend of the couple said they were living “every parent’s worst nightmare” after their son was “diagnosed with stage one eye cancer” in a social media post.
The friend said the boy had three tumors “in and around” the optic nerve that were located directly next to his brain.
‘(The family) would appreciate it if you did not use the term cancer around (the child) or your children. (The boy) knows he has a bad eye that will get better,’ he said.
Police will allege an Adelaide couple raised $60,000 from a fake fundraiser claiming they needed the money for their six-year-old son’s ongoing “cancer treatments” (file image)
The couple were due to appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court (pictured) on Friday.
The couple allegedly received donations through a GoFundMe page and fundraising efforts organized by their son’s private school.
Acting Deputy Commissioner John DeCandia said an investigation was launched after police were first notified of the alleged abuse on Nov. 26, when a community member noticed “something wasn’t quite right.”
‘Our investigation confirmed that the child is not seeking medical treatment. “We believe this hoax illness is causing significant and serious psychological harm to the boy and his brother,” he said.
Both the boy and his sister, who is between six and 12 years old, have been separated from their parents’ care and are living with a relative.
Acting Deputy Commissioner DeCandia described the alleged crimes as “abhorrent.”
“You can imagine, in your mind, thinking that you have cancer and even the other sibling thinking that their (brother) has cancer… it’s devastating,” she said.
“I can’t think of anything more abhorrent or worse that a parent could do to their child than making them believe they have cancer simply because of their personal greed and selfishness, just to get some money.”
Detectives are also investigating whether the donations can be recovered.
The couple was denied bail and are expected to appear before Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted GoFundMe for comment.