Jamaican lawmaker Heroy Clarke, Member of Parliament for St. James Central, is pushing for necessary DNA testing at beginning to handle the problem of paternity fraud. Clarke launched the proposal within the 2021 State of the Constituency Debates, emphasizing the emotional and social hurt induced when males unknowingly increase youngsters who will not be biologically theirs.
“Fairly plenty of individuals really need it to occur as a result of we’re seeing households damaged due to this example,” Clarke defined. “There are males who construct relationships with youngsters who will not be their very own, and it’s only when it goes to court docket that the reality comes out. By that time, households are already damaged.”
The proposal gained momentum following latest revelations about two outstanding Jamaicans—a sports activities determine and an entertainer—who found they weren’t the organic fathers of kids that they had been elevating. These findings have been made doable by 876DNA, a neighborhood DNA testing firm. In line with the corporate’s principal, Terron Dewar, 47% of their instances in 2024 returned antagonistic paternity outcomes. Dewar famous that 70% of inquiries come from ladies, together with grandmothers and companions, in search of readability for the boys of their lives.
Paternity fraud is a long-standing problem in Jamaica. A 2016 research by Dr. Herbert Gayle, an anthropologist on the College of the West Indies, discovered that 25% of Jamaican males are unknowingly elevating youngsters who will not be biologically theirs. This phenomenon, often known as “elevating a jacket,” has sparked widespread concern within the Caribbean.
The issue additionally impacts Jamaican males within the diaspora, significantly these making an attempt to deliver their youngsters to the USA. A leaked diplomatic cable revealed that one in 10 males presenting DNA take a look at outcomes to the U.S. Embassy in Kingston uncover they don’t seem to be the organic fathers of the kids they’re sponsoring.
Regardless of the prevalence of paternity fraud, Dr. Gayle cautioned in opposition to necessary DNA testing at beginning, warning it may result in home violence and aggression. Ladies who knowingly misidentify the daddy on a beginning certificates can face penalties beneath the Registration (Births and Deaths) Act, together with fines as much as $250,000 or imprisonment for as much as three months.
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