politics
Couple granted adoption after surrogacy agency used wrong sperm
A British-based couple discovered through DNA tests that an overseas surrogacy agency had used donor sperm instead of the intended father's sample. The couple withdrew a parental order application and obtained an adoption order instead.
Jul 7, 4:00 AM·1m read1 source
The GuardianAudio version
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A British-based couple who used an overseas surrogacy agency found they had no biological connection to their twins after DNA tests conducted for British citizenship applications. The couple, identified as PP and QQ in court documents, had been told the embryos were created using the intended father's sperm. Tests later showed the children were unrelated to him.
Background to the case The couple, originally from Sri Lanka, had married in the UK in 2016 and undergone unsuccessful IVF attempts in the UK and India. After the loss of twins born in India, they arranged for a family friend in Sri Lanka to act as surrogate.
The agency, Wish Fertility, confirmed in writing that donor eggs and the intended father's sperm had been used. DNA testing during the citizenship process contradicted that confirmation.
Court findings A judge ruled last week that the couple were blameless and that no evidence existed of consent to donor sperm use. The judge described the agency's explanation as startling and improbable. The couple withdrew their parental order application and received an adoption order instead. British citizenship was granted to the seven-month-old twins in March.
