A 37 year old British man, Andy Bathie, who donated his sperm to a “married” lesbian couple so they could have two children, is now being forced to pay thousands of pounds in child support by the the British government’s Child Support Agency (CSA). He initially agreed to help lesbians Sharon and Terri Arnold after being assured he would not have to be involved in the upbringing of their young boy and girl or have any financial responsibility towards them. However, the CSA has begun to dock his pay, forcing him to contribute financially to the children’s upbringing because the lesbian couple have split up.
The Evening Standard newspaper (see link below) has reported that Mr Bathie has launched unprecedented court action in an attempt to ensure he cannot be recognised as a legal parent to the children. He told the paper: “These women wanted to be parents and take on all the responsibilities that brings.”
“I would never have agreed to this unless they had been living as a committed family. And now I can’t afford to have children with my own wife — it’s crippling me financially.”
Under current UK law only the birth mother is recognised as a legal parent and not her lesbian partner. Because Mr Bathie did not donate his sperm via a licensed sperm donor clinic/agency, his DIY (do-it-yourself) sperm donation has resulted in him being held to be the other parent (father) under the current law. Men who use such agencies are legally protected from being held financially responsible for any child that is born and they are not constituted as a legal parent. If the two lesbians had chosen to adopt the children, while in a stable relationship, both would have become the legal parents.
Sources
Fireman sperm donor to fight CSA
Sophie Goodchild, Evening Standard
03.12.07
Sperm donor to lesbian couple forced to pay child support
Rachel Williams
Tuesday December 4, 2007
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,2221460,00.html#article_continue
New Zealand source
Leave a Reply