PATERNITY FRAUD: Should Paternity Testing Be Made Mandatory?

Given a recent rise in revelations that some men who were identified as the biological fathers of some babies, were actually not, has given rise to the debate as to whether paternity testing be made mandatory at birth for all newborns.

Though only a small number of queries has risen regarding paternity, in some instances, it was not until many years after the child’s birth and parental bonding developed, that such revelation regarding determination of the true dad is made. Whenever such development occurs, lots of readjustment becomes necessary and could lead to some bit of confusion within the child’s mind.

Misattributed paternity can be devastating for men who after years of forming a bond with a specific child, only to find out that there is nothing common with their DNAs. Another aspect is when the misattributed dad pays Child Support for many years before realizing “he is not the daddy”. Most men just walk away from the situation without bringing to justice the mother who is responsible for the paternity fraud.

In times before, the common scenario was that the attributed dad either accepted, which was probably about 95% of the times or he denied. Prior to the nomalcy of DNA testing, courts mandated that the attributed “Dad” pay child support. Some men remained in denial and even spent time behind bars, refusing to pay child support for children they never believed were theirs. The saying, “if yuh wasn’t dey, yuh name cyah call” , became the “mantra” to every attributed Dad who questioned the validity of their father-ship.

Ironically, though serious consequences await attributed dads who for whatever reason becomes delinquent, most times, no consequences befall the mom who perpetrated the paternity fraud. Most misattributed dads never seek reimbursement for monies spent on child support either through the courts or normal upbringing. Societal displeasure normally befalls any man who hesitate to own up to or disowns any child once a mother attributes his name as father…….. and for this reason, most men take the less shameful way out and accept the responsibility once the child is attributed to them. Attributed dads most times accept responsibility without validation, out of concern for societal backlash or perceived mistrust within the relationship.

With consideration to the foregoing scenarios, discussion within certain groups have taken into consideration, what impact would mandatory paternity testing have. One argument suggests that life is quite normal as is and should be left this way, while another believes that testing would protect some children from being affected in the future, having to deal with mental confusion as to who is their dad.

It is believed that some absent dads act the way they do because they are unsure that the child is actually theirs. Also, Some mothers deliberately, fraudulently pinpoint men as their child’s father because of status or financial stability. Apart from removing doubt from the minds of any attributed Dad and the eradicating of paternity fraud, it is felt that mandatory testing cover a lot of grounds in building families through trust.

A suggested method is to mandate testing for all newborns with the father’s name listed on the child’s birth certificate and further regulate that child support charges cannot be initiated against any attributed Dad once he has not been previously identified as the father, except in cases where a claim has been made but the man refuses to be tested normally.

You can join the discussion by voicing your opinion…… What Do You Think?