Parents Accused of Faking Son's Cancer (And Shaving His Head) for Money

The suspects raised $60,000 (around €57,197) for the alleged treatments.

The parents of a six-year-old boy have been accused of faking the child's cancer diagnosis, even shaving the child's hair and eyebrows, for monetary gain, in Adelaide, Australia.

The 44-year-old couple, who also left their son in a wheelchair with bandages to mimic radiotherapy, have been charged with criminal negligence and fraud, according to the Australian Associated Press.

“The defendants allegedly shaved their six-year-old son’s head and eyebrows, placing him in a wheelchair with bandages to mimic stereotactic radiation therapy treatment,” said Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia.

The officer confessed, according to the same outlet, that “he could not think of a more dishonest and cruel scheme that the parents had done to their own son”.

“It is abhorrent that people would seek to profit for their own personal greed and selfishness from a disease as insidious as cancer, which affects so many families in our community,” he said.

The alert was raised on November 26 and since then the Western District Child and Family Investigation Section has been working with the Department of Child Protection, the boy's school and Australian Child Protection Services.

DeCandia also said daily assessments had been conducted to ensure the short-term safety of the boy and his sister, who are between six and 12 years old.

“Our investigation has confirmed that the child is not being treated. We believe this fake illness is causing significant and serious psychological harm to the child and her sister,” he said.

The children have been removed from their parents' custody and a family member is in their care for the short term.