The grandfather would in fact be the father, and the father the half-brother.
Five years ago, a British man experiencing fertility problems mixed his sperm with his father's so his wife could get pregnant.
This very original manipulation led to the birth of a little boy.
But the matter took a legal turn.
The council of the town of Barnsley, located between Leeds and Sheffield, applied to the High Court to find out the child's true parentage.
This Thursday, February 15, justice ruled against the city, report the British media, including
The Guardian
.
In particular, she found that the complainant had
“no interest”
in the result of a paternity test and that the family could carry out a paternity test later, but that it was
“his business”
.
Potential emotional harm
Five years ago, PQ and his partner JK (the protagonists cannot be named, for legal reasons) were experiencing fertility problems and could not afford
in vitro
fertilization .
They therefore had the idea of mixing PQ's sperm with that of a fertile man, in this case his father, to increase the chances.
The operation was a success.
According to the High Court, there is a
“strong chance”
that the child’s grandfather is in fact his father.
And his father is therefore his half-brother.
In making his decision, the judge found that the little boy, now five years old, was
“an only child who would not exist without the unusual arrangements made for his conception”
.
He added, however, that
"these arrangements also created the conditions for potential emotional harm if he were to learn"
how it was designed.