Belgium’s Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products is investigating whether a sperm donor from the Dutch region of Groningen, who is believed to have fathered more than 100 children, also conceived children in Belgium.
Belgian media reports currently refer to six children.
The investigation follows revelations by the Dutch current affairs programme Nieuwsuur. The Dutch Donor Child Foundation said it is in contact with a group of Dutch mothers whose children were all conceived with sperm from the same donor, totalling 121 children.
According to the foundation’s chairman, Ties van der Meer, the case began to unfold in March when two mothers approached the organisation. He said it is highly likely that the man has fathered even more children.
Mediahuis newspapers reported that the donor told one mother he had also “helped” six families in Belgium.
The Belgian medicines agency said on Saturday that it is examining whether the man donated sperm through Belgian fertility clinics or through informal channels, as he also did in the Netherlands.
“We became aware of the case through media reports. We are now requesting all formal information from the Dutch authorities,” agency spokesperson Ann Eeckhout said.
Based on the reports seen so far, she said, the case appears to involve fraud.
Van der Meer said the man has been a sperm donor for more than 15 years and is still active. Nieuwsuur reported that he is 43.
He donated through clinics, but many mothers also made contact with him online. According to the foundation, he has fathered more children through sperm banks alone than guidelines allow.
The foundation also said he offered sperm by having sex with women trying to conceive.
It said the donor lied to prospective mothers about how many children he had fathered.
Van der Meer said he did not know whether the group of mothers intended to take legal action.
