-Caveat Lector-
>From the Melbourne (Australia) Age:
http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/0010/10/A42759-2000Oct10.shtml
Claims of baby-selling racket may be probed by police
Source: AAP|Published: Tuesday October 10, 6:33 PM
Police may be asked to investigate claims that a baby-selling racket is operating in
Sydney following the publication of a newspaper advertisement that offers money to
expectant mothers.
The advertisement, carried in a western suburbs newspaper last week by an organisation
called Caring Mums, offers 'financial assistance' to pregnant women considering
adopting their children.
The group suggested new mums could use the money to holiday or do a course, but denied
it was involved in a 'buying a baby' scheme.
The Department of Community Services, which became aware of the advertisement last
Friday after it was contacted by a concerned resident, announced today it had begun
making inquiries into the service.
'We are making inquiries and the matter is likely to be referred to the police,' a
department spokesman said.
New South Wales Democrats MP Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, who raised the matter in NSW
parliament, said he had contacted the group at its hotmail address after being
approached by a local resident.
He described the scheme as extremely suspicious.
'This service is completely immoral as it's basically asking mothers to sell their
children,' he said.
'It offers financial assistance to mothers who are at an extremely vulnerable time.
'These practices are not a thing of the past and the offer of money to mothers in
order to give up their children has to be stopped immediately.'
Dr Chesterfield-Evans said while there was no evidence that the babies were being
given to the couples providing mothers with financial assistance, the advertisement
did suggest 'some kind of profiteering' was underway.
The group, in a response to an email message sent by Dr Chesterfield-Evans, denied it
was engaging in a 'buying a baby' scheme.
However, it admitted financial assistance was being given to mothers by 'caring
couples' willing to give children loving homes.
'This does not mean that they are buying a baby but rather they would prefer to give
assistance directly to the mother as opposed to an agency,' it said.
'The mothers then can use the assistance to rebuild their lives (perhaps do the course
that they have always wanted, or a holiday etc, the amounts can be discussed if
applicable).'
The group said it had been set up by women who had either adopted their children or
knew someone who had.
As a result, it had contacts to caring couples wanting children.
It said the service had been 'very popular' with mothers and couples 'struggling to
come to terms with their pending births'.
But Dr Chesterfield-Evans said the advertisement suggested evidence of a baby-selling
scheme.
He called on the government to support a crossbench amendment to its adoption laws
which would make it illegal to offer inducements to parents to adopt their children.
Under proposed adoption laws it was only an offence to threaten parents to adopt, he
said.
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