Father Claims Son Born From Another Man's Sperm After Fertility Treatment

A father in Israel is alleging that his 12-year-old son, born following fertility treatments at Assuta Hospital in Rishon LeZion, may have been conceived using sperm from a different man. A recent genetic test reportedly showed no biological match between the father and son. According to Assuta Hospital, the sperm used in the treatments approximately 13 years ago underwent a complex transfer process, beginning abroad, continuing at another Israeli hospital, and finally reaching Assuta for the fertilization procedure. The father's lawyers have requested access to any remaining sperm samples for compatibility testing. Assuta stated that the alleged mismatch requires investigation at each hospital involved in the sperm's transfer and use, and that the incident has been reported to the Ministry of Health as required. The Ministry of Health confirmed it has been updated on the paternity test results indicating a genetic mismatch and is conducting a comprehensive professional review with Assuta. This case follows a series of alleged failures in IVF treatments, including a recent report of a single mother claiming her two children, born from Assuta Ramat HaHayal treatments, were from different sperm donors, not the one she requested. Assuta has stated its investigation is ongoing and sought permission from the mother's lawyer to test additional samples from the donation to determine if an error occurred and its source, but has not yet received approval. The article also references two other significant IVF-related incidents: the "Sophia case" in 2022, where an embryo genetically unrelated to the intended mother was transferred at Assuta Rishon LeZion, leading to a prolonged legal battle over the child's custody; and another suspicion at Assuta Ramat HaHayal of a child born via IVF not being genetically matched to his father.