Paternity tests prove hundreds of men duped
EXCLUSIVE by Kelvin Bissett
November 11, 2008 12:00am

MOTHERS are having to pay back as much as $60,000 to men who were wrongly claimed to be the father following reform of child support laws in Australia.

More than 300 men have been cleared by DNA of being fathers. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information show orders for $171,567 to be returned have so far been made against the mothers.

Angry women’s groups said last night that it would be the children at the centre of the disputes who would suffer most if money were paid back.

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Push for jail terms for theft of DNA
Leigh Dayton, Science writer | November 11, 2008

Men who suspect they are not the father of children can be jailed for two years if they steal hair or saliva for DNA testing, under legal changes being proposed by the Australian Labor Government.

Men’s Rights Agency co-director Sue Price said any decision to criminalise non-consensual genetic testing would be “well over the top”.

“I had hoped that this had died a normal death, but it seems there are still people looking to prevent DNA testing,” Ms Pryce said.

Liam Magill, who was awarded damages of $70,000 in 2001 after DNA paternity testing proved a family friend was the biological father of his two youngest children, agreed.

“The introduction of legislation that looked like this would be a total farce,” he said.

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