• Jonathan Meijer fathered at least 550 children through sperm donations
• Dutch court bans further donations citing accidental incest concerns
• Musician deceived clinics and parents about number of offspring

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (TDR) — A Dutch court issued a sweeping ban against Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a 42-year-old musician who fathered at least 550 children through prolific sperm donations across multiple continents. The April 2023 ruling prohibits future donations and carries a €100,000 fine per violation, addressing mounting concerns about accidental incest among his numerous offspring.

The Hague District Court determined Meijer deliberately misled fertility clinics and prospective parents about his donation history, creating what judges described as a “huge kinship network, with hundreds of half-siblings.” Investigations revealed his children span at least six countries, with approximately 375 living in the Netherlands, 80 in Germany, 35 in Belgium, four in Argentina and two in Australia.

Pattern of deception exposed

Meijer began donating sperm in 2007, promising each fertility clinic exclusive donations while assuring prospective mothers he had fathered “only” around 10 children. The Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology first banned him from domestic clinics in 2017 after discovering he had fathered 102 children through 11 different Dutch facilities — more than four times the national limit of 25 children.

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Despite the blacklist, Meijer continued donating to international sperm banks including Cryos International in Denmark and facilities in Ukraine. He also advertised his services on matching platforms and websites, sometimes using false identities like “Ruud” to circumvent detection. The Donorkind Foundation, which advocates for donor-conceived children’s rights, determined Meijer used at least 13 different clinics worldwide.

“We and some of the mothers have approached him. They have asked him to stop. He refused,” said Mark de Hek, attorney for the Donorkind Foundation. “This is why legal action is the only option to protect children.”

Incest fears drive legal action

The civil lawsuit centered on psychological and medical dangers posed by Meijer’s excessive donations. Court documents emphasized the risk of unwitting incest — half-siblings forming romantic relationships without knowing their genetic connection. Such scenarios could lead to inbreeding, genetic abnormalities and severe psychosocial consequences for donor-conceived children.

One plaintiff, identified only as “Eva,” welcomed a child using Meijer’s sperm in 2018. “If I had known he had already fathered more than 100 children I would never have chosen this donor,” she stated. “If I think about the consequences this could have for my child I am sick to my stomach.”

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Research on sperm donation indicates that excessive offspring from a single donor creates substantial risks. Studies generally recommend limiting donations to no more than 10 families per donor to minimize dangers of consanguinity. The court found Meijer’s actions “sufficiently plausible” to cause negative psychosocial consequences for hundreds of children who may struggle with their genetic heritage.

International regulation gaps exposed

The case highlighted stark differences in sperm donation laws by country. While Netherlands limits donors to 25 children among 12 mothers, countries like Denmark impose fewer restrictions on international sperm banks. The United States relies primarily on voluntary guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, recommending no more than 25 births per 800,000 population.

Eight European Union health ministers — from Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden — have proposed establishing common regulations on sperm donation across Europe. The initiative aims to create international registries tracking donor offspring and preventing “super donors” from exploiting regulatory gaps between nations.

Professor Jody Madeira, an assisted reproductive technology legal expert, noted the landmark nature of the ruling. “If this lawsuit is successful, it will be the first time a serial donor has been held accountable for his unorthodox and unethical donations,” she told Above the Law.

Donor’s defiant response

In a July 2023 interview with Brazilian television program Fantástico, Meijer admitted tricking women who wanted to conceive. “Yes, I lied to the women. That was wrong. I wanted to help them,” he acknowledged. Two months after his ban, Meijer told German media he dreamed of starting his own family with five children and wanted to “do something meaningful with my life.”

Meijer claimed he viewed his donor children more like nephews and nieces than actual offspring. “I like to meet them. But emotionally, they feel more like my nephews and nieces. Otherwise, it would be too much for me,” he said. Over 150 women who conceived using his sperm formed a Facebook support group called “Donorkind 102 JJM” to share experiences and concerns.

In 2024, Netflix released a documentary series titled “The Man with 1,000 Kids,” suggesting Meijer may have fathered as many as 3,000 children. Meijer disputed this figure on his YouTube channel, insisting the actual number is approximately 550. He declined to participate in the documentary and has threatened to sue Netflix for slander.

Broader fertility industry concerns

The Meijer case exposed systemic problems within the fertility industry. At least 10 Dutch doctors have been identified as illegally using their own sperm to create children, including Jan Karbaat who fathered 81 children at last count. Similar “fertility fraud” cases have emerged across multiple countries, with more than 50 fertility doctors in the United States accused of using their own sperm to inseminate patients.

Netherlands is developing a central donor registry and has changed rules so donors can provide sperm to a maximum of 12 women, replacing the previous limit of 25 children. The court also ordered Meijer to contact all clinics holding his sperm samples and request their destruction, except for samples reserved by parents who already have children from his donations.

Should international sperm donor registries be mandatory to prevent accidental incest among donor-conceived half-siblings?

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