Paternity test with a doppelganger: When child support debts lead to absurd ideas

A friend, a passport, a plan—and an embarrassing ending

Some stories sound like they're from a bad movie—but this one is real. A 37-year-old man wanted to avoid paying child support for his illegitimate child. His solution? He simply sent his buddy to take the paternity test. With a fake ID and someone else's face. Sounds absurd? It is—and it failed, too.

The crime scene was Dillingen an der Donau. The case ended up in district court after the bizarre fraud attempt was uncovered. Also involved was a 43-year-old friend of the child's father, who pretended to be him—complete with a forged ID card bearing his own photo and the other man's details.

The trick worked at first: the DNA test was negative, which was no surprise—the wrong man was sitting in the chair. But then something happened that often happens in real life: a small but crucial mistake brought everything crashing down.

DNA doesn't lie – but neither do photos

What the men had apparently overlooked was that the report, including the photo, had also been sent to the child's mother. She immediately recognized that the man in the picture was not the father of her child. Thus, the attempt at deception was uncovered and ended up on the desk of the public prosecutor.

The consequences were not long in coming: the charges were document forgery and attempted fraud. The 43-year-old doppelganger was fined, cooperated with the authorities and, according to his lawyer, was not even sure himself whether the whole thing could work.

The 37-year-old, however, did not appear in court. The result: an arrest warrant was issued against him. Apparently, he has also long since lost control of his finances—he owes over €8,600 in alimony.

When despair clouds reason

What drives someone to resort to such measures? The answer is usually a combination of financial pressure, fear of responsibility, and the hope of somehow getting away with it. But anyone who thinks they can fool the justice system with a fake passport and a friend standing in their place is living in a different reality—and underestimating both the system and the people who work in it.

Especially since paternity tests are now documented in a way that is tamper-proof, often with a photo and proof of identity. And at the latest when the mother receives the report, any role reversal ends in disaster.

Comment: So much creativity—so little sense

One can only shake one's head at the energy that has been put into this attempt at deception—instead of simply taking responsibility. A father is a father. Period. Even if it becomes unpleasant, expensive, or complicated. Trying to get out of the situation with fake passports and friends is not only legally foolish, but also humanly pathetic.

And to anyone who comes up with similar ideas: The next expert opinion is guaranteed to include a photo again. Anyone who overlooks this will soon find themselves facing criminal proceedings.

Source: sueddeutsche.de