Three held for illegal adoption without mother’s consent

HULU SELANGOR: Police have detained three women managing a welfare home to facilitate investigations into a newborn being given to an adoptive family without the mother’s consent.

Hulu Selangor district police chief Supt Lim Bak Phai said those arrested were aged between 25 and 55.

They are believed to be the owners and caretakers of a halfway home at Bukit Beruntung.

He said police seized the home’s registration documents, a laptop and six handphones.

“A Welfare Department staff conducted a check at the premises and rescued a 17-year-old teenager who had given birth at the home on Aug 20,” he said yesterday.

“Further checks by the department found that nine other pregnant teenagers were staying at the home.”

The department subsequently lodged a police report.

The teenager, from Senai in Johor, is believed to have been sent to the home by her parents after they found out she was pregnant.

“The girl made a payment of RM4,000 to the home. After her child was born, she failed to pay another RM5,500 that was still owed to the home.

“The baby was then given to an adoptive family without the mother’s consent. Her child, however, was returned to her by the adoptive family at 12pm yesterday,” Lim said.

He added the other nine pregnant teenagers were handed to the department for further action.

All the suspects have been remanded for seven days beginning yesterday.

The case is being investigated under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) 2007.