Sperm donor who fathered 550 children calls actions a “whole new concept” in court

The court in The Hague handled a case on Thursday against a sperm donor who allegedly fathered hundreds of children worldwide. The lawsuit revolved around a 41-year-old identified as Johnathan. He fathered at least 550 children worldwide, according to nonprofit advocacy Stichting Donorkind.

Jonathan said in court he considers his approach to be “a whole new concept,” dubbing himself a "well-known donor plus." He said he has created a "private donor environment" where all of his children have the opportunity to connect with him. They can also easily locate each other, particularly via the Internet, he added.

The man donated sperm to 11 Dutch clinics, and several others abroad. He also sought contact with prospective parents via online platforms and social media. According to Stichting Donorkind, he misleads them by saying that he has only fathered a few donor children.

The foundation, which initiated the legal action, wants to stop him from donating his sperm in the future. The foundation's advisor said she felt the pain among the mothers present in court when he made comments about his “concept,” describing it as a “weird social experiment” that must be brought to an end immediately.

Donors in the Netherlands may father a maximum of 25 children with up to 12 women in order to avoid inbreeding, incest, and psychological problems for donor children, the foundation explained. During the hearing, the foundation acknowledged that there is no explicit law forbidding Jonathan’s actions, but emphasized that "you are not supposed to unnecessarily expose children to risk."

In addition to the risk of incest, the court also raised concerns about how the children could cope with having so many siblings. The foundation's attorney mentioned the "complicated grieving process" experienced by sisters and brothers when one of the children passes away.

Jonathan claimed he has not actively donated sperm since 2019 but remains open to assisting families who already care for at least one of his biological children. However, the foundation's legal representative noted that they are aware of women who are still expecting children from Jonathan.

Jonathan's lawyer argued in court that individuals have autonomy over their own bodies and have the right to create life. Thus, the court cannot impose a ban, the attorney said.

Coming from a large family himself, Jonathan said he desires the same for others. While he admitted he wants a family of his own, a previous relationship ended, in part, due to his past history of sperm donations. "I was away a lot," he said.

Jonathan feels he is unfairly labeled as "a mad bull with an urge to procreate." He also mentioned a TV series that a film provider is interested in producing about him, but he has chosen not to participate.

The verdict is expected on April 28.