Dear Editor,

There is a certain hypocrisy in our society today. It seems as though men cannot get any justice. We are either in the wrong or “a just so it go”.

Dr Michael Abrahams’ letter ‘Paternity Fraud’, published in The Gleaner on February 10, is filled with justifications and excuses as to why this type of fraud happens, and it even outlines the repercussions of the vile act.

His letter, however, lacks any condemnation of the practice. Not a word was written about it being wrong, but instead he laments that testing may lead to the end of relationships, as though paternity fraud is not a major thing and ending a relationship for that reason is irrational. A man, in my opinion, has the right to stop providing for a child if he finds out said child is not his. This immorality (crime) is the only one that exists for which the well-being of every party except the victim is taken into consideration.

In a time when we, and rightly so, empower women to choose what happens with their bodies, we are removing that same choice from men. Many men have gone out and had affairs and their spouses have had to accept them, the difference, though, is a choice was made. In this time of equality I would only ask that men be given this choice, as many men would choose to still raise the child, but just like women, they would be given a choice in the matter.

Paternity testing at birth will not fix the issues of paternity fraud, but it would give men the option to make choices, and that is all that they are asking for. The number one deterrent to crime and bad behaviour overall is the rate of conviction. Paternity testing at birth increases the probability of being found out, which will deter the action.

In his letter Abrahams makes an appeal to get these tests done privately, but this, again, ignores the social pressure that men feel from their spouses and her family, who deem them the devil for asking for a paternity test. Many men are afraid to do so out of fear that asking will cause their relationships to end. As such, the only way men can get a paternity test is if they are prepared to be a villain by either refusing to provide for the child and be brought to court or disrupting the harmony in his home by putting his foot down to ask.

Barring an accidental switch at the hospital, every mother knows with 100 per cent certainty that the child is theirs. Men are just asking for that same level of certainty which science has afforded them.

Adrean A Gentles

gentlesadrean123@gmail.com