What is going on in America??!!

[QuentinSummers]

A man has gone to court to be added to the birth certificate and gain joint custody of an 8 year old boy, conceived by his rape of the boys mother when she was 12 and he was 19.
The mother did not want this.
amp.detroitnews.com/amp/106374256

Then to illustrate the delightful patriarchal situation of today, the journalist is calling it an "alleged rape despite the fact she was 12 and DNA testing proved he fathered the child when he was 19.

Ffs. So glad I'm not living in the USA at the moment.

[QuentinSummers]

Bumo

[badbadhusky]

No man who raped a child (12 year old) should be getting access to his victim's offspring. Vile man!

[AdalindSchade]

It’s almost unbelievable isn’t it? Yet not

[picklemepopcorn]

I'm not a swearer, but,.. bloody hell! What kind of society is it comfortable for a bloke to go to court over a pregnancy he inflicted on a 12 year old!

[StealthPolarBear]

Is anyone else seeing adverts for victorian style coats in that article? Maybe we hare gone back in time 120 years.

[Silverthorn]

Just . No words.

[BriechonCheese]

Goodness me, this is a whole level of wrong that I didn't think my brain would ever have to access.

[wrappedupinmyselflikeaspool]

That’s really terrible. A good example of the way females have specific and ongoing difficulties based on their biological sex that others don’t have though. I was raped at 12. I’m very glad I didn’t get pregnant, thankful for that even today. God knows how that woman feels now. Wish I could send her my love and solidarity. Terrible court decision, I just hope the people on the ground organizing access makes some good decisions. I don’t think the child is safe with him.

[Soubriquet]

The fuck?!

What a way to carry on torturing the poor girl

[PricklyBall]

Bloody hell. How fucked up can a country get? Was the judge on crack?

[Adviceplease360]

Utterly terrifying. What on earth made a judge think this is a good idea

[franke]

Wtf have I just read? I'm speechless.

[AllTheWhoresOfMalta]

Jesus. That's surely a social services matter (or the US equivalent) how would the child ever be safe with this man?

[newtlover]

apalling

[Ereshkigal]

Wrapped

[Mrsfrumble]

An "alleged rape"? Despite the fact that a 12 year old cannot legally consent to sex with a 19 year old, and they have actual living proof that the sex occurred? How can that possibly be "alleged"?

Sure the fact that father has committed sex offences against a child should rule him out for joint custody?

[Starlighter]

WTAF?! This is just absolutely horrific!

It’s bad enough that poor girl will have to liaise regularly with her rapist FFS, but what makes the judge think that the scumbag is now safe to be around children at all when he raped a 12 year old child previously?! She must be worried sick.

I can’t get my head around this...

[AdalindSchade]

What on earth made a judge think this is a good idea

Rape myths and patriarchy

[Ereshkigal]

Sure the fact that father has committed sex offences against a child should rule him out for joint custody?

Yes you'd think so, wouldn't you?

[wrappedupinmyselflikeaspool]

Ereshkigal thank you right back at ya

[Pawpainting]

The way I read it was that the man didn't initiate any proceedings. The mother of the child was claiming benefits from the state. Looks like they reviewed her claim and so that the state no longer have to pay this woman any welfare money they had him added to the birth certificate so that the father/rapist will have to pay child support instead of them. It's disgusting behaviour from the government, and hopefully the disgusting rapist leaves his victim and child alone

[SenecaFalls]

How fucked up can a country get?

It's one court in one state. As the article points out, it appears to be entirely unique.

I think it will prove to be the result of a mistake and hope that it results in this jurisdiction changing its procedures. The mother was receiving benefits, and the state sought to go after the biological father for recoupment, which is common in many jurisdictions in the US. That meant she had to provide information about the father.

The aspect that I think is very problematical is entering an order giving him rights in absence of a hearing, if that is what happened. It's not clear what the procedure is, but there is another hearing coming up. Hopefully, that will lead to a different result and changes in procedures for this prosecutor and this court and in state law, it that is what lead to this result. There should definitely be exceptions in cases like this one, and even in cases not involving rape, a judge should not be granting full parental rights without an inquiry into the fitness of the biological father.

[Pawpainting]

I'm sure she could file a motion for him to be denied access rights to the child based on the fact that he is a sex offender. She probably wouldn't be able to afford that though given that she is poor enough to be entitled to state support. But hey once the state saves a few hundred dollars a year they don't care about the well being of this woman and her child.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

The way I read it was that the man didn't initiate any proceedings

Me too. I don't think he knew anything about it until the order was made.

[PricklyBall]

Sorry Seneca, I realise it's horrible when other people jump to conclusions about your country. But for me it's not this one case - instance this article on child marriage in parts of the US (I've seen similar articles in the Washington Post, to which I subscribe, and the New York Times - so I'm not posting completely in ignorance of what the US media has to say about these issues). So I'm afraid yes, the USA has got form for this sort of shit, and I'm not persuaded that this is an isolated moment of madness from one judge who should have been put out to pasture years ago.