
The parents of a six-year-old boy have been accused of faking his cancer diagnosis, including shaving his head and eyebrows, to raise money for bogus treatment.
The man and woman, both aged 44, have been charged with criminal neglect and deception, accused of fraudulently raising $60,000 after putting their son in a wheelchair with bandages to imitate radiotherapy treatment.
The Adelaide couple had allegedly been requesting donations through a GoFundMe page and the child's school.
Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia said he "couldn't think of a more devious and cruel scheme that the parents have done to their own child" in relation to the allegations.
"It's abhorrent that people would (allegedly) seek to profit for their own personal greed and selfishness from such an insidious condition such as cancer which impacts so many families in our community," he said.
Watch the trailer for Apple Cider Vinegar, the upcoming show about Belle Gibson, the Australian woman who faked cancer. Post continues after video.
The matter was reported to police on November 26 and the Western District Child and Family Investigation Section had been working with the Department of Child Protection, the child's school and Child Protection Services.