Pretoria - The swopped babies saga took another turn on Monday when it emerged one of the parents now wants to consult his psychologist and traditional healer.
This came as three other parents were willing to abide by the recommendations of a court-appointed expert curator, that each parent keep the swopped child - as has been the case since their birth more than four years ago.
The parties appeared before a full Bench (three judges) of the High Court in Pretoria to decide on a report by Professor Ann Skelton of the Centre for Child Law.
Skelton investigated the dilemma and she and three of the parents - with the input of a team of psychologists and other experts - recommended that each child remain with the family which raised them.
They would, however, continue to see and have contact with each other’s families, with the help of the experts.
The children will turn 5 in August. Girl M and Boy Z were born to different mothers in the same Boksburg hospital. The babies were apparently swopped after birth and their parents happily raised them until 2013 when it emerged there had been a mishap.
The mix-up only came to light after one of the fathers insisted on a paternity test that showed the child neither belonged to him or the mother. The parents were devastated and the hospital, after receiving the alarming news, investigated. It emerged that the name tags somehow got swopped by the midwife who delivered the babies.
One mother said she was shown a girl shortly after birth, but later found a boy in the nursery, bearing her surname. The staff convinced her that she in fact had a boy and she did not question it further.
Skelton said in her report that the parents have bonded with the children they have raised up to now and want to keep them.
They are all undergoing intensive therapy and three of the parents have been introduced to their biological children.
The fourth - a father - however on Monday indicated he had never met his biological daughter, nor did he take part in the therapy sessions.
He asked the court to postpone the hearing for 90 days, as he wanted to consult his own psychologist and a traditional expert. The father said he was a lay person and did not know the best way forward for the children. He also pointed out that the son he is raising had to undergo certain cultural rituals, but he was not sure how to go about this as he was a Zulu and his son was of a different culture. He wanted advice from an expert in this regard.
He was also prepared to pay for his own psychologist to advise him on the way forward. All the other parents were far into the integration programme and received intensive counselling, but he only received two sessions, the father said. He wants to undergo therapy before he could abide by any decisions regarding the children. “I first want to see the light,” he told the judges.
Skelton said she understood this, but there had to be a process in which all the parties worked together to try to find an amicable solution. She said it was preferable that one team of experts worked with the children and their parents.
Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba urged the parties to work together to find a solution beneficial to the children. The parties agreed the father can consult his experts, but they had to bring out a joint report with the existing team on the way forward by the end of May.
Pretoria News