Paternity fraud is not unusual; it actually becoming a crime is relatively recent but this type of fraud has been going on for centuries. Mothers who choose to name a man as the father of the child they are bearing when they know that that child may not or is not the biological child of the father they are naming. Legal Paternal tests have come a long way in helping to solve issue of paternity fraud but there are still major hurdles in many countries.
This is the domain in which men can feel seriously unprotected and discriminated against by the law. Most men trust the women who tell them ‘I’m carrying your baby’ or ‘the child is yours’. Things are even more complex in longer term relationships or marriages- how can a father who suspects the child may not be his voice this concern to his wife? Asking for a paternity test in such cases would create havoc- it is directly questioning the integrity and fidelity of your spouse or partner.
Paternity DNA testing can establish with certainty whether a putative father is or is not the biological father of a child. However, getting a court ordered paternity test to free yourself of paternal duties you think should belong to another man is not as easy as when the mother gets these court ordered tests to force biological fathers to take on their legal responsibilities such as child support. Paternity fraud can lead to hefty fines and prison sentences. It is indeed very serious.