Tourism Minister Denise Charles has disagreed with statements made by Opposition Senator Lorraine Henderson-Reid who called for mandatory DNA Testing of all children in Dominica at birth.
Henderson-Reid who was delivering remarks during the debate of the Maintenance of Children Act in Parliament this week, said mandatory DNA testing is necessary whether the baby is from marriage or not.
According to her, “This will avoid some fathers from paying child support to children that are not theirs.”
However, Minister Charles is of the view that proposing mandatory DNA testing for all children born, infringes on the fundamental right to privacy and bodily autonomy.
“It is a clear violation of our constitution which safeguards the rights of all citizens, irrespective of gender,” she argued. “Let us focus on the spirit of the Maintenance Act 2023 which seeks to provide a just and equitable legal framework to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.”
Charles added, “Let us move forward with progressive and inclusive policy-making that respects the dignity and rights of all citizens in the Commonwealth of Dominica.”
Miss charles, from a confused older woman still wondering if my father on my birth paper is really my father this test should be made mandatory. i am in my fifties and mentally tortured because my father rejected me and i have no legs to stand on.
in my village i saw many rejected children who suffered because they are confused. My son went to school with a child he was known by a last name but his birth paper had something else.
Please make it mandatory no more “seva mistake” is needed. I am begging because i am still troubled and i know there are many more. I am going to have that DNA test.
What about the right of men not to be defrauded by women into supporting children who are not their offspring? I expect the dishonorable minister to be against this idea considering her bad character.
Minister Charles is entirely correct, and should be praised, since the issue of bodily autonomy is a far reaching one that should be taken seriously by policymakers.
But by the same token, if a child’s mother will not allow such a test, then no man should be liable for maintenance for that child.
Only those with nefarious motives would be against this GREAT idea. Some of the very ones in leadership have children out there and some other man supporting them. They scared so why would they agree to it? Only those who have starved themselves to support a child thats not theirs and those who have served jail time for same know how it feels.
It is ALLEGED that the cabal men have more children outside their relationships than anyone would believe. Vielle Casse can you hear me? Mahaut can you hear me? Grandbay/ Senjo can you hear me? I say yes to DNA testing at child birth for everyone before registration on father’s name. And quite frankly, some of our women are too messy. Jacket children need to know their real fathers.
My God see Dominica’s law makers nou. Roosevelt Skerrit, Raymond Blackmore, Dennis Charles, the one from St Joseph and Colihault, Vince Henderson and others. Boy these are the men and women we have to call Honorable and these dishonorable people are our lawmakers. What a curse on our country. God hear us and graciously hear us
UK NATIONAL SURVEY-5,000 Women -Infidelity and Paternity Fraud
Half said that if they became pregnant by another man but wanted to stay with their partner, they would lie about the baby’s real father.
https://canadiancrc.com/newspaper_articles/Scotsman_96_percent_of_women_are_liars_09DEC04.aspx
Civil lawsuits for paternity fraud
See the website of the Canadian Children’s Rights Council
Adulterous woman ordered to pay husband £177,000 in ‘moral damages’
16% Paternity fraud rate most industrialized countries –
Mommy’s Little Secret – The Globe and Mail, Canada’s largest newspaper on CanadianCRC website
Watch all arguments on Canadian Broadcasting Corportation ( CBC) show Grant Wilson, Canadian Children’s Rights Council
The Canadian Children’s Rights Council has for 30 years advocated for a child’s identity rights. Children have the right to be raised by both their biological parents, the exception being cases of assisted human reproduction. Children have a right to their biological identity, heritage. Children should have the right to be named after both biological parents unless both parents agree otherwise. The Matriarchy controls reproduction. You can now tell who the father is at 7 weeks into a pregnancy by non-invasive prenatal paternity testing. 28+ tests are done on newborn babies in most countries. That helps about 1/2 a percent . Paternity fraud runs about 16%.
It is criminal fraud to represent to a man that a child is his biological child when it isn’t.
A marriage must be based on integrity. A UK survey of 5,000 women found that half would lie to their husband if they became pregnant by another man.
Courts are awarding civil damages to men for paternity fraud.
I believe there is some substance to the idea. Once the matter reaches the courts, then there should be testing, if a party does not support a child because of uncertainty, of being the biological father. It is not new to Dominica that men are given children that they did not father, and by wives to. So yes mandatory when they man is not supporting the child, because of doubt.
I completely agree with Lorraine Henderson-Reid. It seems like Denise has something to hide
In the wise words of legendary Dancehall singer Mr. Vegas:
“Cause some gyal ah raffle up & ah dip
Mi dem waan fi give di jacket
But mi nah go mind no pickney if mi know anuh mi make it!
Drop back that & make another pick
Smaddy else that mighta fit
Cause di pickney deh not even have as much as mi finger tip!”
You see dat wash-your-foot-and-come Opposition dere?! SMH! Where they get them, nah?
One thing I give the labor party credit for is that, they know how to distract and throw people off of rails and the things that matters most. But the simple don’t seem to catch on to this brilliant psychology. They go at every bone tossed by the labor party before swallowing the one already in the mouth.
These people are moving the ball in such a way that their opponents are unable to score any points (goals). Tomorrow there will be another bone thrown out and this lady Denise will be forgotten about. I’m I the only one realizing this? This is why you people keep calling skerrit a liar; and he’s just laughing at you. He goes making all sorts of promises and projects here and there just so you can’t keep up with him. He knows how to throw you off. Especially when he knows you have something solid on him. So, what I see happening is a circus wheel spinning around in a Red and Blue Park surrounded by several groups of Monkeys. But the Big Ape has all the bananas to himself.
I hope that Lorraine Henderson-Reid did a DNA test on herself to ensure that she has the right father and also on her children (if she has any) before she came up with this degrading ideology. This woman has to be UN-REFINED, BRUT and has no idea of what DIPLOMACY is.
Most children have the right father, it is not like this is a widespread problem.
Government can make DNA testing available for child support cases at court and for those people who have doubt but to make it mandatory is beyond invasion of privacy. Like women don’t already have enough on their plate. The birthrate is just going to continue to drop and soon government will have to beg women to have children. Then again maybe she is one of those people who embrace the indecent local music that is played everywhere so infidelities and immorality is what she expects from the Dominican public.
The idea of mandatory DNA testing at birth is absolutely absorb and is an invasion of the sanctity that exist between spouses. what if a couple for fertility reasons had artificial insemination?
Humans are not mechanical. our biggest driving forces are emotional. Love, respect and trust are the pillars of any relationship and to plant the seed of doubt in the minds of people trying to build a family would just further erode the family setting.
It does make sense that before the court mandates that a man supports a child that paternity be established. If a man has to be forced to support his child , it means that trust between the two parents is already broken.
Government can also make DNA testing be easily. cheaply and privately available to the public so that in case a man has doubt he can reassure himself.
How would you feel if your spouse placed a body camara on you so that they can know all of your whereabouts? No one likes to feel like they are not trustworthy.
You see how the constitution all of a sudden matters to them (D. Charles). However, when the CM utters, no law and no constitution… None of them has anything to say, infact they join him and trample on our laws and constitution.
Right now if I was Denise Charles child father… #suspect
Denise I just hope you have the right father who supported you whilst a child. It would be a shame if your mother gave you the wrong hat
“Tourism Minister Denise Charles has disagreed with statements made by Opposition Senator Lorraine Henderson-Reid who called for mandatory DNA Testing of all children in Dominica at birth.”
So, this looks like a battle between two wig-head, who probably believe that the rope on their heads are growing out of their scalps!
That said I hate to agree with with Denise, and suggest that Loraine is talking political garbage!
You see deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a self-replicating material that is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information; the fundamental and distinctive characteristics or qualities of someone or something, especially when regarded as unchangeable.
I ask what would be the purpose of testing every new born child?
It would not make any sense unless there was a need to identify the father of the child via DNA if there is doubt as to who’s the father of the child.
Cont:
This woman’s suggestion of mandatory testing is nonsensical, and would be an illegal act!
There are situations where people need to verify siblings, progeny’s and parents, hence the research their roots.
If and when they encounter a clue that they may be related to someone, they usually ask the someone if they would be interested in facilitating an DNA test to confirm or quash the idea of a family relationship.
Her idea of making testing mandatory seems that she would like to collect medical information on every generation born, then people would have no choice their genetic makeup would become public information.
That sort of thing is not done in the developed world: if it is a case to track criminals, that can be done by lifting DNA of criminals left at crime scenes.
But then again Dominica must be the first in everything!
I fully support Lorraine Henderson-Reid in her call for mandatory DNA testing at birth to determine the true paternity of the child at birth. It is unconscionable to ask a man to pay the cumulative $250,000 to mind a child which doesn’t belong to him, and he might face going to spend time in a jail cell plus the sociological and psychological harm this will force upon him. It also means his legitimate children will be deprived of financial assistance because some female decides to make careless choices. Without this provision in the law it sounds as if the law is anti male and that should not be. On the point of right to privacy the minister mentioned, she should realize that this right has been watered-down with modern technology. Every time one uses a piece of equipment to eat, drink, smoke a cigarette etc their DNA sample can be collected. What is she really afraid of? I say collect the DNA at birth to right wrongs which have been done. Stop giving men wrong children.
Mr. St.Jean your concern is a valid one. No one should have to take care of a child that is not his.
However, mandatory testing of every child is not the way to go to resolve this potential problem.
From where I stand it definitely violates the right of the child and that of the parents.
If there is a question of paternity then the parties involved can request a DNA test and that is common practice here in the USA and I would not be surprised if that’s common practice around the world.
But to make it mandatory at birth is to open a Pandora’s box. We have to be careful what we ask for.
(“I fully support Lorraine Henderson-Reid in her call for mandatory DNA testing at birth to determine the true paternity of the child at birth”)
Man that in the quote above is absolute nonsense!
So, are you suggesting that a couple is married and his wife becomes pregnant, you are saying that it is government responsibility to do a DNA test to ensure that the child belongs to the woman’s husband?
Don’t you see that is an absolute stupid suggestion, and a bad idea?
Where the hell are you people from?
On what planet were you born?
If the idea is simply to prove who is the biological father of a child, that can be proved by a simple blood test also; which has been utilized for the same purpose all these many years.
Lorraine is simply pipping hot air, not even in the communist world, China, Cuba, and North Korea do they have such draconian laws making it mandatory to have DNA testing; if a woman said someone father her child, the father is in doubt, then that should be left…
What do you think of me? Do I have the right father and the left mother?
@Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque, you are always entitled to your opinions and I’m entitled to mine. The court says it’s goal is to do what’s in the best interest of the child and once the child has begun to recognize the jacket-wearer as daddy, even if the late DNA test reveals that he isn’t the father of the child he’ll be “made” to continue to provide financial support for that child he didn’t sire. That’s the law. To prevent a man from getting entrapped in this legal precedent it’s too late to do the DNA test later after there is psychological attachments and then damages. The law can be worded that if the man and woman want then they have a right to jointly reject such DNA testing at birth. Will you provide funds for those who can’t afford to pay for a DNA test after the child has been given to the wrong, poor man? We all talk of how broke most Dominicans are. I stick to my point of view even if you disagree.
I tell guy what is written in the following quote are your words, which is complete nonsense; you have a right to your opinions too, but if it is garbage, it is simple garbage!
“To prevent a man from getting entrapped in this legal precedent it’s too late to do the DNA test later after there is psychological attachments and then damages”
Jonathan, how much do you know about deoxyribonucleic acid ?
This here: To prevent a man from getting entrapped in this legal precedent it’s too late to do the DNA test later after there is psychological attachments and then damages” tells me you don’t know what the hell you talking about, because it is never to late to do a DNA test, because if I am dead and my boons are dug up material from my bones can be used to perform a DNA test, if am dead and one of my children wish to know via DNA all they need to do is asks one of my surviving siblings brother or sister to take a test, since we all should have the same DNA in our blood!
“too late to do the DNA test later after there is psychological”
That is the greatest bit of nonsense in all you wrote!
Psychological attachment is a clinical term used to describe a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings, attachment theory highlights the importance of a child’s emotional bond with their “primary caregivers.”
So, finding out who is the biological father in my opinion should not cause any psychological damage to a child.
Boy let me tell you something your opinion is bunk ; your DNA is a road map, it’s like a schematic diagram unique to an individual human, if this nonsense you are supporting becomes reality; peoples entire genetic makeup will become public information as long as it is stored in a DNA bank!
There is no place on the planet where sample of Children born DNA is Mandatory, in prisons depending on the crime that’s done without consent. If you know of any such place let me know.
Dominic poverty issue should be solved first…
Management how long does it take for one’s comments to be brought out to the public?
I responded to a comment over 25 hours ago and I am still waiting to see that comment.
Thank you.
ADMIN: Comments are generally moderated within 24 hours with the possible exception of weekends and holidays.
In a House (Parliament) that is illegitimately constructed, bad legislation and ruination of the constitution and the diminishing of our democracy inevitably occur.
Let us be brutally HONEST. Those who sit on the opposition benches in parliament is a very poor imitation of a real opposition. No matter how outraged some people may become by this description, it is an incontrovertible fact.
Those who sit on the government benches are con artists who only goals and objectives are to use state resources to filthily enrich themselves.
Dominica under the current dispensation is destined for stateless status.
What’s your feeling, Ibo? I am with the right father and left mother? Tell me fast so I know.
I absolutely support this sensible mandatory DNA mandate which will help to definitively identify familial relationships as we cannot always take the “good” word of individuals who either are not sure who their biological fathers are simply chose to pick a father for their own reason.
I do however agree that concerns of the state assuming the financial burden of this initiative is a very valid one that needs to be hashed out.
The the parentage of offspring can always be determined by dna analysis and if a party makes a claim of parentage, and compensation in this regard, the party who is pursued in respect of this claim must have the right to have its veracity ascertained or rejected by a certified testing facility. This right should never be denied if natural justice is to be upheld.
Minister Charles stated, however, proposing mandatory DNA testing for all children born infringes on the fundamental right to privacy and bodily autonomy.
Really Denise… are you sure you know what words you are using and the meaning of such words “bodily autonomy” – the right for a person to govern what happens to their body without external influence or coercion. So according to your statement I am free to put whatever I want into my body or do what I want with it, well then why are their laws governing what drugs I use and can put into my body, furthermore why are their abortion laws, since according to you I should be free to use my body how I want?!
Is this woman an idiot.
So men are supposed to pay for jackets that their cheating wives and girlfriends try and put on them .
You just giving men more ammo to run away from kids and say is not there’s.
Compulsory dna testing is what is needed if you want to make a change in society
I understand if they are saying that if there is a doubt of paternity then a dna test is needed to clarify the matter but to make it mandatory is not logic especially in the case where a couple are satisfied that they are the parents
And that’s the way it should be, that’s the way it’s done internationally!
Even when criminals are suspected in the commission of a crime, and their DNA is found at the crime scene, they don’t simple call the suspect in to verify their DNA.
There are cases in Los Angeles, and elsewhere the FBI and police had people under surveillance for years: followed them, until they unsuspectingly doped a cigarette butt, or cup from which they drank coffee or tea, even water, that object is picked up, and tested, if matched to the DNA lifted from the crime scene, only then the the person is arrested.
It would be a violation of human rights to make it mandatory to record ones DNA at berth.
Only in Dominica, those wast of time ignorant politicians dream up of such nonsense; in any event the one suggesting this crap perhaps don’t know her damn father. I do not support Wig-head Charles eh, only because she on Roosevelt side, but if I get a chance I would take her out on a date!
I doh joking…