A man who had allegedly fathered between 500 and 600 children worldwide has been ordered by a Dutch court to cease donating sperm. The 41-year-old Dutchman has been prohibited from providing any more semen to clinics, with potential fines of 100,000 euros ($110,000) per violation.
The 41-year-old Dutchman, identified by de Telegraaf newspaper as Jonathan Meijer, was forbidden to donate more semen to clinics, the court ruling said.
Judges also ordered Mr Meijer, a musician from The Hague, to write to clinics abroad asking them to destroy any of his semen they have in stock, except doses reserved for parents who already had children by him.
The decision came after a civil case was started by a foundation representing the interests of donor children and Dutch parents who had used Mr Meijer as a donor.
Their argument was centered around the violation of the donor children’s right to a private life, as well as the potential hindrance to their ability to form romantic relationships due to concerns of accidental incest and inbreeding.
The man’s extensive donations were initially brought to public attention in 2017, leading to his prohibition from donating to Dutch fertility clinics, where he had already fathered over 100 children.
However, he continued to donate abroad, including to the Danish sperm bank Cryos which operates internationally.
The man also continued to offer himself as a donor on sites matching prospective parents with sperm donors, sometimes using a different name, according to the Algemeen Dagblad daily.