A woman who claimed she was about to give birth to a world record breaking 12 babies has gone in to hiding after being exposed as a fraud.
The 34-year-old woman, known only as AF, told doctors in her home town of Gafsa, Tunisia, that she was due to give birth to duodecaplets later this month.
The Tunisian Health Ministry has investigated her claims and her 'history' and has revealed that she has ‘psychological problems and it is unlikely that she is even pregnant’.
A spokesman in Tunis said: ‘Our staff interviewed her at length, but even her pregnancy appears to be in her imagination. She’s claiming to be nine months pregnant with six boys and six girls, but there’s absolute nothing about her appearance which indicates this. The woman has refused point blank to undergo a medical examination. Now we can’t even contact her. She’s gone into hiding.’Woman Was Never Pregnant With 12 BabiesA doctor at the only hospital in Gafsa, confirmed that the woman had never been in their care, and had ‘undoubtedly’ made the whole thing up. He said: ‘It may be that she’s trying to make money from television ......These kind of people can make thousands from appearing on programmes. Perhaps that’s what motivated her.’
The woman’s 40 year old husband known only as Marwan, has already hired a lawyer to deal with media enquiries. He has also gone missing!
Experts had always doubted the woman’s claims, with Peter Bowen-Simpkins of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists saying: ‘How could you get 12 babies into the womb at the same time? ....The womb just doesn’t expand that much. She would have to be about seven feet tall.’
The woman said she had turned to IVF after having 2 miscarriages.She had said: ‘This is an absolute miracle and we all feel blessed after struggling so hard to have children.’
Earlier this year unemployed single mother Nadya Suleman from The US, made hundreds of thousands from media deals after giving birth to eight children.
August 2009
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