Aussie couple accused of raising $60,000 for fake cancer treatments for their six-year-old son allegedly SHAVED his head and put him in a wheelchair

A couple accused of asking Aussies to pay for fake cancer treatments for their young son allegedly shaved his head and eyebrows and put him in a wheelchair.

The Adelaide couple, both 44, from the city’s western suburbs, were charged with criminal neglect and deception offences on Friday. 

Police will allege the pair raised $60,000 in two weeks for the six-year-old’s ongoing ‘cancer treatments’ before they were arrested. 

The pair allegedly shaved the boy’s head and eyebrows and forced him to travel in a wheelchair as part of the alleged cancer scam. 

Bandages were also allegedly strapped to the six-year-old’s head which mimicked those given to radiotherapy patients.

A friend of the couple said they were living ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’ after their son was ‘diagnosed with stage one eye cancer’ in a post on social media. 

The friend said the little boy had three tumours ‘on and around’ the optic nerve that were located directly beside his brain. 

‘(The family) would appreciate that you do not use the term cancer around (the boy) or your children. (The boy) knows he has a sick eye that will get better,’ it said. 

The couple allegedly received donations through an online fundraising page and from fundraising efforts organised by their son’s private school.

Acting Assistant Commissioner John DeCandia said an investigation was launched after police were first notified about the alleged abuse on November 26 when a member of the community noticed ‘something wasn’t quite right’. 

‘Our investigation confirmed the child is not seeking medical treatment. We believe this farce illness is causing significant and serious psychological harm to the child and their sibling,’ he said. 

Both the boy and his sister, who is aged between six and 12-years-old, have been removed from their parents’ care and are living with a relative. 

Acting assistant commissioner DeCandia described the alleged crimes as ‘abhorrent’.

‘You can just imagine, mentally, thinking that you’ve got cancer and even for the other sibling to be thinking that their (brother) has cancer… it’s devastating,’ he said.

‘I couldn’t think of anything more abhorrent or anything worse a parent could do to their child than to make them think they’ve got cancer purely for their own personal greed and selfishness, just for them to get some money.’

Detectives are also investigating whether the donations can be recovered.  

The couple were refused bail and are expected to appear before Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday.