A German man is dealing with a bit of a legal nightmare. While they were still married, Karl and Inge (whose last names remain private under German law) had their sperm and eggs frozen at a local fertility clinic with the intention of having a child later in life. After they divorced, however, Inge forged Karl's signature twice so she could conceive a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Now, a German court ruled Karl will be responsible for financially supporting a child he had no knowledge of.
Karl, 37, argued in court that he should not be responsible for the child because he had "revoked his permission for his sperm to be used" after he and his wife divorced. Since the child was born without his explicit consent, he thought the financial burden of child support should instead fall on the clinic who, in his opinion, didn't adequately screen for his wife's forgery.
The courts disagreed with Karl. After reviewing the case, they decided he was not clear enough when calling the clinic to revoke permission to use his sperm. And while it's unfortunate that his signature was forged, the court didn't believe responsibility should fall on the clinic. According to the medical malpractice court where the trial was held, Karl will be responsible for sending child support funds to Inge, 42.
Many Twitter users seemed to side with Karl:
can't he sue the hospital
— jaeter (@jaeter1) May 3, 2018
There is some good news if you're on Karl's side throughout this ordeal. It seems the decision is "not legally binding." Karl may yet appeal the decision to avoid obligatory child support payments.
Good luck, Karl! You have many people pulling for you.
H/T - USA Today, Daily Mail
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