False birth registration brings home detention

29 October 2014

A Whangarei woman who attempted to register the birth of a fictitious child to claim a sole parent benefit was sentenced to six months home detention in the Whangarei District Court today.

Teresa Kristina Marie Wilson, 22, unemployed of Onerahi, had earlier pleaded to making a false statement under the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 1995.

Wilson contacted the Department of Internal Affairs in December 2013 wanting to register the birth of her “daughter” born at home in October 2011. She said a grandparent had raised her daughter until recently. She also provided a statutory declaration in her mother’s name confirming the birth.

Wilson later told a Department investigator she needed a birth certificate so she could apply for a sole parent benefit. But her mother confirmed that her daughter had never been pregnant.

The Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Jeff Montgomery, who initiated the prosecution, welcomed the sentence:

“This sends a clear message that we won’t hesitate to prosecute when we become aware of false statements, the maximum penalty for which Parliament has set at five years imprisonment.

“The birth register is the official record of births in New Zealand and the system relies on the honesty of applicants. Birth certificates are a primary document used to prove identity. The deliberate provision of false information undermines public trust and confidence in the information on the birth register.

“Ensuring the integrity of our records is a vital part of good government where the public relies on such records.”

Ends

Media contact:
Trevor Henry
Senior Communications Adviser
Phone 04 495 7211; mobile 021 245 8642

Spokesperson
Jeff Montgomery
Registrar-General
Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Department of Internal Affairs Te Tari Taiwhenua
Phone 04 382 3633; mobile 021 818 449; email: jeff.montgomery@dia.govt.nz