Paternity fraud is an emerging social issue in Ghana that urgently needs the attention of the Parliament of Ghana. Paternity fraud involves situations where a woman deliberately misleads a man into believing he is the biological father of a child when, in reality, he is not.Interestingly,the child may have a striking resemblance with the man in question but DNA may equally prove they are not biologically theirs.
As times are hard,this practice unfortunately has caused many men to waste their precious time, money, and emotional strength bringing up children that were not their biological children, with some finding out about it very late. The devastating effects do not only affect the men but also the children are traumatised.
The emotional and financial costs are very intense. Most men in playing their partenal roles sacrifice so much in raising children,often giving up personal goals and dreams in the process only to discover later in life they have been played. This mostly leads to depression, anxiety disorders, perpetual trust issues and an incessant battle to move on from the traumatic experience.
To the children, paternity fraud reveals identity crises, abandonment, and lifetime scars which makes them vulnerable to becoming deviants.Many are thrown into unstable situations where they often question their places in the world and the adults that surround them.
Ghana's legal and social frameworks largely favors women in family and child-related disputes. While this is important in the protection of the female sex, it inadvertently creates a gap within which men have little or no recourse in cases of paternity fraud. Unlike other countries that have addressed this issue, Ghana presently has no laws criminalizing paternity fraud, making men susceptible to being victimized.I stand to be corrected though.
Urgent attention must be given by the Ghanaian Parliament to this unfair situation through the passing of appropriate legislation that criminalizes paternity fraud. This should impose stern penalties on those who knowingly deceive others over paternity. It should also include provisions for compensation of those men wronged and psychological support for the affected children.
Ghana can learn from the United States of America (Georgia Statute O.C.G.A. Section 19-7-54, California Family Code Section 7646), Australia (Family Law Act 1975, Child Support /Assessment Act 1989).
Indeed, the rising cases of paternity fraud in Ghana can no more be swept under the carpet. The emotional and financial torture of putting victims through this and the various psychological effects that have lifelong scars on children demand immediate action. The Ghanaian Parliament should make laws criminalizing paternity fraud to give justice to the victims and ensure such a betrayal shall not go unpunished. Lives have been lost due to this and must be given the attention it deserves.
The government should further resource our public health institutions to be able to perform such vital services,making it more affordable to Ghanaians . Possibky captured under the National Health Insurance. In addition to that, private institutions should be subsidized to be able to make their services affordable.
Follow the link https://chng.it/rvyJZD4V8p and sign the petition for Ghana's Parliament to criminalize paternity fraud now.
Long Live Mother Ghana
Dumenu Charles Selorm
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