A lesbian couple in Australia have been ordered to return their adopted daughter to her birth mother after she ‘changed her mind’ about giving her up.
A court ruled that the toddler would be better off with her biological parents and three siblings, despite having lived with the couple since her birth nearly three years ago, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The Brisbane couple, known only as Ms Blaze and Ms Darnley for legal reasons, had raised her from birth in an agreement drawn up by a lawyer.
The girl’s biological mother, only identified as Ms Grady, gave her newborn to Ms Blaze and Ms Darnley because she did not have the financial means to raise another child.
A lawyer then drew up a parenting plan – described as a ‘quasi-adoption’ in court – and it was agreed Ms Grady and her other children would have ‘some on-going relationship’ with the girl, although no specifics were given.
However, Ms Grady later found out that the father was a different man to whom she initially thought, and he would give financial support to their child.
She then ‘reclaimed’ the girl, who was now about nine months old.
The couple, who had tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant via IVF, were forced to take the case to court.
But they lost and their daughter will now be ‘transitioned’ back to her biological family.
She will spend one weekend a month with Ms Blaze and Ms Darnley but they have no parental responsibility for her.