RantCrush Top 5: May 16, 2017

Ten Dutch women who used a fertility center to conceive their children, and 12 of those children, have filed a lawsuit against the center’s late owner. They allege that Dr. Jan Karbaat, who died last month, switched donors’ sperm for his own. Now they want access to his DNA so that they can prove that he is the father. Karbaat explicitly said before his death that he didn’t want his DNA to be released. The clinic closed in 2009 after it was determined to be failing to meet certain standards and authorities said the record-keeping was so poor there was no way to reliably prove the identities of the donors. One of the plaintiffs who thinks that she is Karbaat’s child said she realized their resemblance after an anonymous tipster told her it was a possibility.

A lawyer who helped prepare the lawsuit, Laura Bosch, said the case is important as children who are donor-conceived should be entitled to information about their biological parents. It also highlights the donor sperm shortage in the Netherlands.

Dutch fertility doctor swapped donors’ sperm with his, lawsuit claims https://t.co/7QqFxFw0WP pic.twitter.com/P1Tjlp6cdK

— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) May 16, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.