In the past two days, a news about Australian immigrants has swept the Australian media. And the content is even more shocking! Let's take a look. Yes, Australian media reported an outrageous year-old love. A 48-year-old man falls in love with a 103-year-old grandmother!
A 48-year-old lawyer from Estonia has pleaded to stay in Australia with his 103-year-old girlfriend, and he understands why some netizens may not believe their love is real.
Mart Soeson had been in a relationship with Elfriede Riit since 2013 and the two lived together until 2022, when she was forced to move into a nursing home.
Riit was also born in Estonia but is already a permanent resident of Australia, the widow of Soeson's grandfather (she is his second wife) and will celebrate her 104th birthday later in February.
The couple insisted that their age gap of 55 years was irrelevant and that they should be allowed to continue their romantic relationship no matter how long Ms. Riit was alive.
My relationship with my late grandfather's widow started out as a healthy one and slowly turned into a very meaningful and loving one. ”
Application for Partner Visa Rejected Soeson is seeking permanent residency in Australia on the grounds that Ms Riit is his partner but his PR visa application has been refused.
He was not officially informed of the reasons for the refusal of his visa application, but he believes that the Home Office has expressed doubts about the legality of his marriage to Riit. "Yes, I know there is an age gap between us. "I know it's a problem for some people.
But in general, the age gap is a problem for older women and younger men.
It's never been a problem for older men and younger women, but I can't change that attitude. Soeson has now referred the case to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, where he appeared in court on Wednesday with Ms. Riit and three supporters.
The hearing did not take place in the Tribunal's Sydney office because Mr Soeson lifted Ms Riit from a Maxi cab to a wheelchair and she was in too much pain to attend the proceedings. Mr. Soeson described the meeting with Ms. Riit while drinking coffee outside the courtroom.
Riit came to Australia in early 1996 to study Advanced English. Riit knew Soeson was the grandson of her late husband Alfred and invited him to stay at her home in Bankstown, southwest of Sydney.
Soeson said it wasn't love at first sight and it didn't happen overnight, but the two quickly became friends and their relationship went from strength to strength. "She provided me with guidance, support and companionship. ”
Soeson wrote in a statutory declaration that it formed part of his appeal. "In this situation, we have a lot in common and a lot of reasons to spend time together. Soeson returned to Estonia but returned to Australia to visit Ms Riit during the holidays in 2000 and 2007, when he was "very concerned" and "very much missed" Ms Riit. "During these two trips, our bond became stronger and when I returned to Estonia, I developed a longing for her company," he said in the statement. ”
I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and meeting her made my life much more fulfilling and happy. "Mr. Soeson took annual leave in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and travelled further to Sydney for the sole purpose of visiting Ms Riit. During their last visit, the two recognize that their feelings for each other have deepened and transcended friendship.
We've spent the last five holidays together and our relationship has become very close. "She was totally in love with me and I felt the same way about her. Ms. Rhett shows her love for him by spending more time in the kitchen making breakfast, lunch and dinner for him, Soeson said.
We also became closer physically, and she kept hugging me and paying attention to me like never before. Soeson believes his relationship with Ms. Riit began in January 2013 when she was 92 and he was 37.
Before we met, she felt very lonely and helpless," he said in his statement. "Since we started sharing our lives, I have brought joy, happiness, and security to her life. Ms Riit is an Australian citizen who fled Europe after World War II and has been alone since her husband's death in 1987.
On Wednesday, when asked if she wanted Soeson to return to Estonia, she cried and shouted: "No! In her own statutory declaration, Ms Riit said that by January 2013, "I realised that my feelings for Mart had gone far beyond friendship". "I'm already in love with him, and that's what I need to express," she said.
I'm alone and I want a partner to be there for me, someone who cares about me and will be there for me when I'm good and support me when I'm struggling, and I know I've found that in MART. ”
Soeson's next step was to quit his legal career in Estonia and move to Australia to live with Ms Riit in Bankstown, which he did in September 2018. When the couple moved in together, Ms Riit was 98 years old and, according to Mr Soeson, 43, she was still "very active". They lived together until Ms Riit moved into the aged care facility in September 2022.
It was a reluctant decision for both of us, but it was a necessary one due to her health condition and the advice of medical professionals. "The change in living conditions has not changed our relationship. We love each other and are still connected spiritually and emotionally. ”
Mr Soeson first applied for permanent residency in March 2016 and was granted a temporary visa in July 2017, but his permanent (partner) visa was refused just before Christmas 2018. He hopes that the court will recognise that he has a "genuine de facto relationship" with Ms Riit and allow him to remain in Australia. "Love doesn't matter age, we still have a strong relationship. We wanted to stay together because she didn't have many years left in her life. ”
Ms. Riit, who has no children, receives a pension that the two combine with Mr. Soeson's salary to cover their living expenses. Soeson regularly visits Ms. Rhett's nursing home and brings her her favorite foods: chocolate, berries, and other fruits. They attend meetings, church services, watch TV together, go out for coffee with friends, and visit medical experts.
Soeson said in a statement that she became more and more dependent on me as time went on. "She often asks about my whereabouts and she gets very anxious when she knows I'm not around. "In the long term, we want to continue to share our relationship with each other and give each other a single heart and love. We are loyal, in love, and believe in each other as true life and romantic partners. Soeson said the couple had no plans to get married. So, what do you think about this?