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Patrick and Ai Ni (not their real names) have been married for five years. The couple longed for a child to hold and cherish, but Ai Ni was unable to conceive.
Ai Ni had consulted numerous gynaecologists and decided that she should go for fertility treatment. If things did not work out, the couple considered adopting a child from China or even Vietnam.
Just as she was a month into her fertility treatment, a well- meaning friend introduced her to a stranger, one Madam Wong, who was an old hand at arranging children for adoption but at a price!
Most of her contacts were single mothers pregnant out of wedlock. She promised Ai Ni that she would take care of all the details – procure a child for adoption, obtain the relevant birth certificate complete with a MyKid to boot with minimum hassle!
Why even Patrick and Ai Ni would be spared a face-to-face encounter with the natural parents of the child. Even better, when the child grew up she will never know that she was an adopted child! Madam Wong’s proposal was just too good to resist. It would be a dream come true for the couple. |
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But little did they realise that the transaction they were about to enter into would be tainted with illegality from the start and lead to complications later on. The whole exercise was actually fraudulent!
Three months into the illegal adoption, baby Cherie brought so much joy and fulfillment to the whole family. She was indeed a treasure and bundle of endless delight.
Patrick and Ai Ni decided to take her for a holiday to Melbourne to meet her brother and family. So, they took baby Cherie to the Immigration Department to apply for an international passport.
At the department, the officer took one look at baby Cherie, and knew something was amiss. She didn’t quite look like her parents and certainly her complexion was much darker than her purported parents. He was suspicious.
When Patrick and Ai Ni were quizzed, they struggled to provide credible answers (in fact they were forced to lie as one lie invariably leads to another).
The officer was not persuaded. Instead, he referred them to the National Registration Department and the couple is now under investigation by the relevant authorities. |
