The case began when a man, knowing that he was born by artificial insemination, wanted to find his biological father. For this, he used the services of a detective, a specialist in DNA research, and began a genealogical investigation. Research also quickly turned to the gynecologist who had followed his mother.
The man tried in vain to obtain the doctor’s DNA through the mediation service of the former Sint-Rembert hospital and the West Flanders Medical Association. He nevertheless managed in 2020 to convince close relatives of the doctor to take a DNA test. The results pointed more towards the infertility specialist, but were inconclusive. Armed with this new information, the man was still able to return to the hospital which, this time, took him seriously and recognized that serious deontological and ethical errors had been committed.
The infertility specialist consistently refused to give his DNA. Contacted by the “Terzake” program of the VRT, he neither confirmed nor denied having been a donor one day. “Although there is no certainty that an offense has been committed, the medical inspector has forwarded the file to the public prosecutor’s office and to the Order of Physicians,” said the office of Federal Minister of Public Health Frank Vandenbroucke. (Vooruit).
The Kortrijk public prosecutor’s office confirmed the existence of an investigation against the doctor from West Flanders, but declined to comment further.