Zelda Venter
PRETORIA: Two babies swapped at birth five years ago will remain with the parents who raised them.
Now legally adopted by their “psychological parents”, the high court in Pretoria made provision that they also have contact with their biological parents.
The order, delivered by a full bench (three judges), headed by Deputy Judge President Aubrey Ledwaba yesterday, brings an end to the thorny legal issues which arose when it was discovered a year and a half ago that the parents who raised the girl and boy, were not their biological parents.
It merged that the babies were swapped at a Boksburg hospital five years ago.
Veteran child law expert, Professor Ann Skelton, of the Centre for Child Law, was appointed to investigate what would be in the best interests of the children.
She presented a report to court yesterday, in which she recommended that each child continue living in the care of the parents who raised them – “psychological parents”.
This recommendation was accepted by the judges, who also ordered the de facto adoption by each set of parents of a child they raised.
But the parents will not be left to cope on their own, as the court, as recommended by Skelton, appointed a parenting co-ordinator who will assist them in the way forward.
The State would pay for this service.
During a previous hearing Judge Ledwaba had said this was not a case in which one party could claim at the end to have won. This was evident yesterday, as the father who raised the boy, only identified as Z, said that in an ideal world he would have liked to have his biological daughter back.