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Paternity tests are now seen as absolute proof that someone is or is not the father of a child. Although statistics suggest that science has found a way to provide the law courts with certain evidence, this may not always be true.
Paternity tests may not be as irrefutable as DNA testing services affirm. According to The Telegraph, a British newspaper, the results can be far from clear. Sometimes, they may prove that someone is not the father when they are the father. At other times, they may prove that someone is the father when they are not the father.
If genetic scientists insist that accuracy is 99.99 percent certain why might those who dispute the accuracy of DNA tests still be right? The answer is simple: while DNA test results themselves may be highly accurate, errors may still occur because of some other reason. For instance, technical blunders or human error could lead to a false identification of the biological father.
Technical Errors
Many technical errors can arise from a mistake in the laboratory. One example is a false laboratory result and another is complications arising from a rare DNA mutation.
A Mistake in the Laboratory
Mistakes are possible when it comes to false positives and false negatives. A careless error made by a lab technician could result in an inaccurate reading. The result might be a false negative when the true situation is a false positive, or the result might a be a false positive when the true situation is a false negative.
Complications Arising from a DNA Mutation
A genetic mutation may lead to an inaccurate test result. In many instances, genetic mutations occur without causing any effects on a person. But in the case of paternity testing, a genetic mutation may lead to a false result. Often the older a man, the more likely it is that there is a genetic mutation in his sperm. Consequently, a mutated DNA strand in sperm could lead to a discrepancy between a child’s DNA test and the father’s DNA test. The test would erroneously show there is no relation.
Human Errors
Many human errors can render a DNA paternity test inaccurate. One example is a false result based on a close relationship with the real father and another is fraudulent tampering of the sample or the DNA report.
A False Result
If a man accused of being the biological father is a close relative of the actual father, his DNA could test positive. If for example a woman accuses her brother-in-law of being the biological father but he is actually innocent, his DNA may still test positive because he is her husband’s brother.
Fraudulent Tampering
Tampering with either the test sample or the DNA test report may result in the court accepting a false accusation as true. This can happen if either the mother or the man accused of being the biological father has a chance to directly interfere with the DNA testing process or indirectly interfere with the help of someone else.
Conclusion
Statistically, DNA paternity tests should be accurate, and the law courts often have a justifiable reason to ask a man identified as the biological father to pay child support. But technical errors like a mistake in the laboratory or a DNA mutation or human errors like a technician’s blunder or a case of fraud could force the wrong man to assume responsibility for the child.
Understanding that error is possible will give a man identified as the father to have the legal option to fight an unjust situation or for the right father to assert his parenthood rights.
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Brought to you by Justin Weinger.
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