RISKS OF CHILD ADOPTION

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 6

RISKS OF CHILD ADOPTION

CASE COMES TO COURT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Auckland, April 9. The risks of adopting children in a rough and ready fashion, without having a knowledge of tho Infants' Lifo Protection Act were exemplified by a case which was brought in the l'olico Court this morning before Mr. E. C. Cutton, S.M. Elsio Treacy, a married woman, of Ponsonby, was charged that, not being a licensed person, she retained an illegitimate child in her possession for raoro than seven days for the purpose of maintaining it apart from its parents, and in consideration of a payment of <£30. Chief Detective M'Malion said that accused, who admitted tho offence, had replied to a newspaper advertisement which was intended to find some kind person V'illing to adopt an infant baby girl. As a result she met a married sister of tho child's mother and had arranged to adopt the child on the payment of a premium of ,£3O. The premium was paid, and tho child was transferred (at the ago of two months) from Warkworth to its new home in Ponsonby. Some few months later tho baby fell oil' a bed and broke its leg, with the result that it had to go to tho hospital. There the circumstances became known to ono of the doctors, and as lio considered that Mrs. Treacy was not in' sufficiently good health to tend tho child properly, he advised that it ba sent back to its mother. This course was adopted, and the matter beeamc known to the police. None of tho premium money had been returned. The magistrate remarked that the whole thing (including the acceptance of tho premium) involved a serious breach of tho law, and lie would have to tako time to consider what should be done. He thought that accused would have to be fined tho full amount of the premium which she had reecived, but he would let tho matter stand over till to-morrow liiornir.i.