Woman arrested after faking kidnapping to keep illegally adopted child

A woman who falsely reported a child kidnapping was arrested after the police discovered the child’s biological mother had reclaimed him two years after an illegal arrangement in the Free State.

Police in Thabong arrested the 46-year-old woman from Bultfontein for defeating the ends of justice and perjury after investigations unveiled an illegal adoption.

Free State police spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle alleged that the woman had a Facebook relationship with a pregnant 24-year-old woman. The two allegedly made an arrangement to hand over the baby at birth.

Biological mother reclaimed son two years after illegal adoption

However, the situation took a dramatic turn this month when the biological mother returned to reclaim her child two years later.

“This prompted the woman who had been raising the child to falsely report a kidnapping case at the Thabong police station,” Earle said.

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According to the police, a Bultfontein woman went to the Thabong Police Station to report that a two-year-old boy, whom she referred to as “her child”, had been kidnapped.

On 10 March, a team consisting of senior officers and members of Thabong detectives, FCS, Thabong Vispol, K9 Unit, and LCRC conducted a crime scene investigation to document the alleged kidnapping scene. However, investigators found no evidence of a kidnapping at the scene.

Investigators established through further investigation that the biological mother collected the child from the Bultfontein woman on 9 March at around 09.30am.

False kidnapping claim exposed

Earle confirmed that authorities retrieved the child from the biological mother, and Phuthaditjhaba Social Services is currently caring for him.

After exposing her false kidnapping claim, the Thabong FCS arrested the Bultfontein woman for defeating the ends of justice and committing perjury.

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“Investigators also determined that the biological mother gave birth to the child two years ago in Bloemfontein but handed the newborn over to the Bultfontein woman shortly after birth,” Earle said.

“The biological mother then fraudulently registered the child at Home Affairs using the Bultfontein woman’s identity document.”

Both ‘mothers’ face fraud and human trafficking charges

The biological mother and the Bultfontein woman are now both facing charges of fraud and human trafficking for their alleged offences.

The investigation into the matter continues.