The Manukau District Court will sentence a South Auckland couple on September 10 on proven charges of falsely registering a child as their own.
They pleaded guilty to charges brought by the Registrar General of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
The defendants have temporary name suppression.
According to an Internal Affairs Department press release, the husband fathered the child with another woman, who agreed that the baby would be given up and raised by him and his wife as their own.
The couple reportedly married in September 2005 after the child was born. They registred the child as their own and seven years later the biological mother alerted Internal Affairs.
It is understood that the couple initially denied that they had provided false information but later admitted to the offence,
Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages Jeff Montgomery has since amended the child’s birth certificate to record the real mother.
“Accurate and timely birth registration is a right of every child born in New Zealand. A child is entitled to know who his or her parents are. Recording both parents on a child’s birth registration provides evidence of the person’s identity, descent and whakapapa. We will not hesitate to prosecute when we become aware of false statements. The maximum penalty is five years in jail,” he said.
Mr Montgomery said that it was essential that the official birth record is correct for many reasons. Some entitlements, for example, inheritance and benefits received under trusts, depend on a person establishing that they are the son or daughter of the benefactor.
“Similarly, certain government grants and benefits depend on a parent-child relationship being established. In addition, a child may be able to claim citizenship status through a parent, and a birth certificate will provide prima facie evidence of that relationship. Ensuring the integrity of our records is a vital part of good government where the public relies on such records,” he said.
