No child maintenance without DNA testing!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/27/child-support-absent-fathers-passport
There is nothing in the UK to set off the gender war like the issue of Child Maintenance. The welfare reform bill blog entry at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/27/child-support-absent-fathers-passport is a good example of the feelings generated – getting nearly a thousand comments in a few days.
In the same week, the New Scientist has a special report (http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126934.300-special-investigation-could-your-dna-betray-you.html) on how it is against the law in the UK to obtain DNA samples from unsuspecting persons even if that person is your loving spouse that you suspect of cheating on you. Whilst I would want a law against anyone obtaining and using my or any one else’s DNA for any other purpose, I would argue there is a special case in the issue of paternity.
But nothing seems to set off a barrage of female howling like the suggestion that a woman could be unfaithful, conceive a child and lie to another man to look after said offspring. Following closely behind in the howling stakes is the subject off the absentee father.
The first big question really is “do men have the right to know if they are in fact supporting their own children’ or the milkman’s?”. If we answer negative to this question, then no other questions need to be answered because there can be no fairness in such a system and the odds are stacked against the man. The welfare reform bill’s clauses will not change anything and will be a waste of time and money. There can be no responsibility without rights.
Greg B [Visitor]
What matters to our government is not that the right man is held accountable, but SOME man is held accountable. The system is not setup to be fair, it is setup to force the man to empty his wallet. And not only does the government want to take passports, they also want to take driving licenses.
As a man you can expect imprisonment if you manage to deceive a paternity test as in a recent case that will be going through the courts.
Of course, if you are a woman, and knowingly deceive a man into bringing up the milkmans child, there is no recourse, as a recent victim Mark Webb found out at the court of appeal after trying to sue his ex-wife for damages after being duped for 17 years about the paternity of his daughter.