A Dutch fertility doctor accused of using his own sperm to inseminate patients without their consent has been confirmed as the father of 49 children, reports BBC News.
DNA tests revealed that Jan Karbaat, who died two years ago, impregnated their mothers at his clinic in Bijdorp, near Rotterdam. The results were confirmed after judges allowed their release.
Under Dutch law, children born to donors before 2004 do not have a legal right to know the identity of their fathers, however, law restricts the number of people to be conceived by one donor to 25, which would make Karbaat’s alleged actions illegal.
"However, with the judges agreeing to the paternity test, the judge placed the children's rights above those of Karbaat and his family," Defence for Children advisor Lara de Witte told AFP. It’s unclear why the doctor would have used his own sperm instead of that from donors.
The report says one of the children, named Joey, said he could "finally close the chapter" now he knew Karbaat was his father. "After a search of 11 years I can continue my life. I am glad that I finally have clarity," he said.
Tim Bueters, a lawyer who represented the 49 children, said he was pleased about the outcome of the case after years of uncertainty. "It means that there is finally clarity for the children who are matched," he is quoted in the report as saying.
Karbaat was first taken to court in 2017 by a group of donor children and their parents over suspicions they were related. One of the cases involved a donor child who physically resembled the doctor, the court heard.
[link url="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-47907847"]BBC News report[/link]