An Australian mother, Michelle Bodzsar, has been sentenced to over four years in prison for deceiving her community into believing that her six-year-old son had cancer, leading to fraudulent donations of $11,500 AUD (£6,000). Despite her son only sustaining a minor eye injury from a trampoline fall in September 2024, Bodzsar falsely claimed he had eye cancer, fabricating a need for extensive treatment including fake radiotherapy sessions.
Utilizing social media, Bodzsar spread her deceit further by sharing misinformation about her son’s health with a group of parents on Facebook, manipulating them into sympathizing with her fabricated plight. The court revealed that she even subjected her son to fake medication and forced him to appear in public with a shaved head and other false cancer-related accessories.
Bodzsar’s husband, Ben Miller, expressed shock upon learning the truth about his son’s health, emphasizing the betrayal he felt by his wife’s actions. He highlighted the severe impact her deception had on their family, leading to his own temporary separation from his children and loss of employment.
The judge condemned Bodzsar’s actions as a calculated ploy for attention rather than a result of financial struggles, emphasizing the cruelty and manipulation inherent in her scheme. As a consequence, Bodzsar received a sentence of four years, three months, and 20 days, with a non-parole period of two years and four months. Her eligibility for parole is set for a year from the backdated start of her sentence on December 12, 2024.
