A mother from New Zealand may be jailed after falsely claiming
that a girl competing for a school place with her daughter was a
lesbian with a sexually transmitted disease.
Queenstown District Court heard how the woman - who cannot be
identified - made the claim in order to incraese her daughter's
chance of being selected to study at either St Hilda's Collegiate
School or Columba College in Dunedin.
Both are considered elite schools in the district and competition
for entry is fierce.
According to reports, the mother called both schools and pretended
she was a sexual health nurse.
In both calls she attacked the other student, claiming that she
needed treatment for an STD and was in an intimate relationship
with another female.
When school officials became suspicious, they contacted police.
Now, the woman is awaiting sentencing but could be jailed for three
months or face a fine of $2000 for using a telephone for fictitious
purposes.
Seargent Ian Collin told the Otago Daily Times: 'There is a very
high demand for limited places at the schools and a board makes a
final decision at the end of the year.
'In an effort to have her daughter accepted ahead of the other
student, the defendant made the fictitious phone calls to both St
Hilda's and Columba College concerning the other student's
behaviour and that of her parents."
