Estonian lawyer, Mart Soeson, 48 is trying to prove his relationship with 104-year-old widow, Elfriedie Riit as official doubts the legitimacy of their relationship.
The incident comes after Mr Soeson’s permanent residency visa in Australia was rejected. It’s doubtable if the relationship with 104-year-old widow is really true or he wants to stay in Sydney.
Mr Soeson was forced to defend the relationship during three-hour interrogation at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by the Department of Home Affairs.
Regardless their age gap, Mr Soeson said that his relationship with 104-old-year woman has an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual depth.
How it started
Mr Soeson who was 37-year-old and Ms Riit who was 92-year-old fell in relationship in January 2013 after meeting in 1996.
5 years after relationship started, Mr Soeson moved to Australia in September 2018 to be with Ms Riit in her home in Bankstown. In 2022 she moved into an aged care facility due to her health as she has Alzheimer’s and bipolar disorder.
While Mr Soeson was applying for visa, he sometimes noted Ms Riit as his grandmother to government agencies which made his application complicated.
On the issue, he said that he felt discrimination, maybe that’s why, he felt scared that they will discriminate and on that they had such experiences. He said that when seen out in public, people were often about their relationship. Daily Mail reported.
“It happens quite often, assuming that. I didn’t view her as my grandmother. I’ve never called her ‘grandmother’. There was no grandson-grandmother relationship.” Mr Soeson said.
The couple used to live together but slept in separate bedrooms due to Ms Riit’s snoring and nightmares from World War II experiences.
Mr Soeson is struggling with proving his relationship with Ms Riit.
Even though the couple isn’t married but they managed their finances together before Ms Riit moved to aged care and Mr Soeson hopes she can return to live with him in Bankstown.
The officials hearing was adjourned without final decision on Mr Soeson’s visa status.