A Dutchman who fathered over 500 children around the world has been ordered by a court to stop donating sperm. According to British media, the 41-year-old prolific donor, identified only as Jonathan M under Dutch privacy rules, provided sperm to several Dutch fertility clinics, a facility in Denmark, and people he met through advertisements and online forums.
However, the judge who heard the civil case said that the donor “deliberately lied about this in order to persuade the parents to take him as a donor.” The court stated that the parents of the children are “now confronted with the fact that the children in their family are part of a huge kinship network with hundreds of half-siblings, which they did not choose.” The court added that this “has or could possibly have negative psychosocial consequences for the children.”
As per the national guidelines in the Netherlands, sperm donors are allowed to father a maximum of 25 children with 12 mothers. The Hague District Court, which ruled on the case, said that the donor violated these guidelines by fathering more than 500 children. The case was about “conflicting fundamental rights,” the court’s statement said, with the right to respect for the privacy of the parents and the donor children on one hand, and the same right of the donor on the other.
The donor’s lawyer said that his client wanted to help people who would otherwise be unable to conceive. However, the court ordered him to stop donating sperm to prevent the kinship network from being extended any further. The court stated that it was in the interest of the children that the network not be expanded any further, as it could lead to negative psychosocial consequences.
This case has raised questions about the regulations surrounding sperm donation and the rights of children who are born through this process. While the donor may have had good intentions, the court’s decision reflects the need to balance the interests of all parties involved, particularly the children who may be impacted by the actions of donors.
