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Lately there have been many stories about Criminals being caught by using familial DNA, where they had no previous samples of the actual criminal. My thoughts are that this is great. Then I started to wonder what if:
Some poor sap, 40-50 years ago has a one night stand and his partner get pregnant. The she concocts a story about being raped, but never gives accurate information about the man. Then the progeny uses the new method to track down the “rapist”?
What then?
"Some poor sap" should have used condoms.
Are you concerned about the potential defamation of the man's character, or potential criminal prosecution? The circumstances of conception always have the possibility of two different versions of the incident being told.
Lately there have been many stories about Criminals being caught by using familial DNA, where they had no previous samples of the actual criminal. My thoughts are that this is great. Then I started to wonder what if:
Some poor sap, 40-50 years ago has a one night stand and his partner get pregnant. The she concocts a story about being raped, but never gives accurate information about the man. Then the progeny uses the new method to track down the “rapist”?
What then?
If you are asking as to any criminal aspects, it may depend on where the alleged rape was committed. Some states have no statute of limitations on certain levels of sexual offenses, generally related to whether violence was involved. Other states have no limitations on rapes committed after the law was passed, and other states have statutes of limitations ranging from 3-20 years. Some laws require the rape to have been reported within a specific time after it allegedly occurred. If still a valid and open crime, then much will depend on whether the prosecutor thinks there is a reasonable chance of success or whether it is he said-she said based on 40-50 year old memories.
If you are asking for genealogical purposes, then what ensues will depend on the individuals involved. Does the progeny care who his/her biological father is? Does the biological father care? Do either of them want a relationship? Does the father want to 'clear his name' with his child?
Take it a step further. Could a state use DNA to identify unknown fathers in welfare cases and seek reimbursement for benefits or establish a child support order. That would not necessarily be a criminal case and the father may not have any knowledge of the paternity. If the mother received welfare benefits for the child, and if the government became zealous enough they could do some DNA snooping to recover payments.
No idea what you mean (since it doesn't work that way) but you beg the question, Who did you rape?
I was answering the first part of post #2. General question regarding cases where DNA is used for actual crime solving. I never raped anyone. One night stands, maybe. That’s not rape.
I was answering the first part of post #2. General question regarding cases where DNA is used for actual crime solving. I never raped anyone. One night stands, maybe. That’s not rape.
Children of one night stands who were never told who their father was do often turn to DNA to identify their fathers. It happens all the time now. I've helped a few people do this but in each case the fathers I found were already deceased. Sometimes half-siblings or aunts/uncles cooperate by submitting DNA to confirm the connection, some do not.
In any case you sound like you have a guilty conscience. If you are not guilty of anything then by all means help out your potential unknown children by submitting your DNA to the various genetic genealogy databases so the poor saps can know who you are.
If you are not guilty of anything then by all means help out your potential unknown children by submitting your DNA to the various genetic genealogy databases so the poor saps can know who you are.
There are vary valid medical history reasons to make contact in some cases.
This already happens in Maryland. If you are a custodial parent who gets public assistance, you must "names names" for the non-custodial parent if one was not listed on the birth certificate. Once the custodial parent (normally mom) "names" the father, a court order is generated which requires the person named to take a DNA test to show whether or not they are the child's father, and thus owe the custodial parent (more accurately, the state once assistance is given out) child support.
This game can go for months......years.......if the mom doesn't know who the child's father was, or is protecting the real baby-daddy.
Children of one night stands who were never told who their father was do often turn to DNA to identify their fathers. It happens all the time now. I've helped a few people do this but in each case the fathers I found were already deceased. Sometimes half-siblings or aunts/uncles cooperate by submitting DNA to confirm the connection, some do not.
In any case you sound like you have a guilty conscience. If you are not guilty of anything then by all means help out your potential unknown children by submitting your DNA to the various genetic genealogy databases so the poor saps can know who you are.
No guilty conscience. The sixties and seventies were different times. You’ve heard of the sexual revolution? It was after the pill came about, and then there was Roe v Wade. Between marriages in the late 70s, I was having a good time. Once I remarried in the early 80s I settled back down, always wondering if I might someday get a knock on the door from someone looking to help with their college expenses. Once I hit thirty years of marriage later on, I figured it’s safe to assume none of my old partners kept any surprises a secret. This is something that I am certain a lot of men my age think about. Maybe not a majority, but a significant number just the same.
I’ve been thinking about getting my DNA tested to see what they tell me about my ancestors. Some of our children have done that already. The numbers jived with what I had been told of my origins, so I never bothered. Now they are using familial testing results to find criminals they could not find in other ways. I applaud that. My mind got to wandering one day. In spite of the sexual revolution, in a lot of areas of the country, it was still frowned upon to have a child outside of marriage. That was the reason for my OP.
This already happens in Maryland. If you are a custodial parent who gets public assistance, you must "names names" for the non-custodial parent if one was not listed on the birth certificate. Once the custodial parent (normally mom) "names" the father, a court order is generated which requires the person named to take a DNA test to show whether or not they are the child's father, and thus owe the custodial parent (more accurately, the state once assistance is given out) child support.
This game can go for months......years.......if the mom doesn't know who the child's father was, or is protecting the real baby-daddy.
This is what they do now, but before DNA testing, a woman could claim rape, and either give real information to catch the guy or give fake information so nobody would be hurt, and she could get on with life having a child. It’s understandable when you consider that explaining an out of wedlock pregnancy is easier when you just tell someone you were raped. In one case you will get sympathy, in the other, you are lucky if you get understanding.
Imagine if they had DNA testing for a few centuries now. Would The Scarlett Letter have been written?
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