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Deceased seed bank boss should be father of at least 19 children
A now deceased Dutchman, who ran a sperm bank for nearly 30 years, is said to be the father of at least 19 children born after artificial insemination. Apparently he had exchanged his own sperm for donors.
Former boss of a seed bank
A few months ago it became known that a doctor in the US fertilized at least 50 women with their own sperm. The now retired gynecologist had resorted to his own ejaculate without telling the women. According to a Washington Times report, the retired doctor should be the biological father of at least eight children. The former head of a seed bank in the Netherlands apparently has produced many more children. He is believed to be the father of at least 19 children born after artificial insemination.
The former director of a seed bank in the Netherlands is said to be the father of at least 19 children born after artificial insemination. (Image: Dr_Kateryna / fotolia.com) Father of at least 19 children
According to a news agency AFP, the former director of a seed bank in the Netherlands is probably the father of at least 19 children born after in vitro fertilization.
This has resulted in a DNA comparison, said the Dutch institute FIOM. It was the DNA of an official child of the recently deceased compared with DNA of persons who had been fathered in the laboratory.
According to the information, a total of 23 Dutch have requested a DNA reconciliation.
Sperm exchanged
Parents and children accuse the doctor, who died in early April at the age of 89, of having used his own ejaculate for in vitro fertilization - and not the sperm selected by a donor in the sperm bank.
Next week, a court in Rotterdam is to decide on the claim of the 23 plaintiffs.
One of the plaintiffs, Moniek Wassenaar, said in an interview, "I hope the judge will allow us to extract the DNA so we can use it to find out if we are his children. "
DNA matches that of 19 half-siblings
The plaintiff's attorney had made several inconsistencies. For example, one of the plaintiffs has brown eyes, although the alleged sperm donor should have been blue-eyed.
Another client is very similar to the deceased. "It's a question of identity, it helps to shape one's personality," said Tim de Bueters, family lawyer, according to AFP. "To know his origin is a fundamental right."
According to the information, one of the children from the doctor's marriage voluntarily provided his DNA. "The DNA matches that of 19 half-brothers and half-sisters," said the director of the FIOM Institute, Ellen Giepmans.
The investigations are therefore still to be continued to make sure that there is a 100% agreement on the DNA.
No donors found
The New York Times report also provides an indication of why the physician might have resorted to his own ejaculate.
For example, years ago laws were passed in the Netherlands prohibiting, among other things, the payment of medical donations and requiring that children born through sperm donations know the identity of the donor when they are 16 years old.
As a result, the seed bank director did not find enough donors. In 2004, he told the daily newspaper Volkskrant: "I've just placed an ad for donors, but have not received replies."
According to a family lawyer, the doctor allegedly said he was the father of 60 in-vitro fertilization-born children. However, he repeatedly rejected a DNA test.
His clinic was closed in 2009 due to irregularities. (Ad)