Adoption of a child

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 55, 2 September 1926, Page 9

Adoption of a child

A MOTHER'S MISTAKE fJIGNED UNDER MISAPPREHENSION, An unusual petition -was presented in the House of Representatives yesterday in ivhich a mother asks for legal facilities to regain the custody of a child which owing, to a misunderstanding was adopted by someone else. ■ The petitioner, Gladys Martha Dowse, j of Pine street, Wellington, states that in 1919 she was seriously ill with influenza, | with the result that hor vitality in health. was prejudicially affected for some time. After struggling for some twelve months | to provide food and shelter for her four young children, she found it impossible to carry on, and arranged with Charles Bethell and his wife, Lucy Rachael Ann Bethcll, that they should -look after two of the children for about twelve months, as she was unable to care for all four at the time. She received a formal consent for an adoption order from the solicitors of Mr. and Mrs. Bethell, and in view of tho arrangement previously made with them she thought it was necessary for her to sign the document to carry it out—that they should have her two children for sofne. twelve months. She accordingly signed the .consent. The. document, which petitioner states she signed under misapprehension, turned out to be' a consent for the adoption of ono of the two children! She states that she was in a very weak state of health at the time and in addition .was in great trouble, so that her mental condition was such as to preclude the exercise of a deliberate judgment. She was not aware of tho legal effect of the document when she signed it, and had reason^ to believe that the operation and effect would, be different from what it actually was. Two applications had been made for discharge of the adoption order, but unsuccessfully. Owing to the continual strain and worry, arising from her* anxiety for the welfare of her child, her affection for the child, and the unending 'trouble, excitement, distress, and disappointment to which she has been subjected owing to the enforced separation of mother and child since 1920, petitioner's health has been affected seriously, and her medical adviser has informed her that her nerves are in a very bad state. The petition also states that the child is fretting because she is not permitted to be under her mother's care. Petitioner prays that part three of the Infatits Act be amended so as to make it mandatory that in cases where it is established that consent to the adoption of a child was given under entire misapprehension the order of adoption should be annulled.