For too long, Ghanaian society has turned a blind eye to a silent crisis eroding the foundations of our families: paternity fraud. This deceptive practice—whereby a woman deliberately misrepresents or conceals the true biological father of her child—has devastating consequences that ripple through generations, destroying lives, distorting identities, and undermining the sacred trust upon which Ghanaian families are built.
It is against this backdrop that Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng (A Plus), Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, has courageously is working on introducing the Paternity Fraud (Criminalisation) Bill before Parliament. This groundbreaking Private Member Bill seeks to criminalise paternity fraud and establish a robust penal framework. As his legislative friend and advocate for this reform, I stand firmly behind this Bill and call upon all right-thinking Ghanaians to support its passage.
The statistics are alarming. Studies across sub-Saharan Africa suggest that between 10% and 30% of children may not be biologically related to their presumed fathers—a phenomenon often described as “paternal discrepancy.” While comprehensive data specific to Ghana remains elusive, anecdotal evidence from DNA testing laboratories, family courts, and social welfare agencies paints a troubling picture of widespread deception.
Consider the heartbreaking stories: men who have spent decades raising, educating, and providing for children only to discover through DNA testing that they share no biological connection; children denied the truth of their heritage and robbed of their right to know their biological roots; families torn apart by revelations of long-concealed lies. These are not isolated incidents—they represent a pattern of behaviour that has gone unchecked for far too long because our laws have failed to name it for what it is: fraud.
The Ghanaian family is the bedrock of our society. Our cultural values emphasize honesty, trust, and respect for lineage. In Akan, Ga, Ewe, and other indigenous traditions, knowing one’s ancestry is not merely a personal matter—it is central to identity, inheritance, customary obligations, and spiritual connection.
Paternity fraud strikes at the heart of these values. It perverts the sacred bond between parent and child. It transforms the family—our most trusted institution—into a site of deception. When a woman knowingly deceives a man into believing he is the father of a child who is not biologically his, she commits an act of profound dishonesty that violates not only the trust of that individual man but the collective moral fabric of Ghanaian society.
Moreover, paternity fraud inflicts incalculable harm on the innocent child caught in the web of deceit. Every child has an inherent right to know their biological parentage—a right enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Ghana is a signatory. When this right is denied through deliberate misrepresentation, the child’s identity, medical history, and rightful inheritance are all compromised.
Article 7 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) explicitly recognizes that every child has the right to be registered immediately after birth, to have a name, to acquire a nationality, and, as far as possible, to know and be cared for by their parents. This fundamental right is reinforced by Article 8, which protects the child’s right to preserve their identity—including nationality, name and family relations as recognized by law—without unlawful interference. Article 9 further safeguards children by ensuring they shall not be separated from their parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine that such separation is necessary for the child’s best interests. Together, these provisions establish that children have an internationally recognized right to know their biological parentage, to have that parentage accurately recorded, and to preserve their true family identity
Currently, Ghana has no specific legislation criminalising paternity fraud. While related offences such as perjury, forgery, and fraud exist under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), none directly address the unique harm of paternity deception. Victims have been left to navigate a confusing patchwork of civil remedies under the Children’s Act and common law, often with little success in obtaining justice or restitution.
This legislative gap sends a dangerous message: that paternity fraud is acceptable, or at worst, a private family matter unworthy of the state’s intervention. This is categorically wrong. When fraud is committed in matters of commerce or property, the law responds with criminal sanctions. Why should fraud in matters of family—arguably more fundamental to human dignity—be treated any differently?
Some will argue that this Bill will unfairly targets women or criminalises honest mistakes. This is a mischaracterization. The Bill will explicitly protect women who genuinely believed their representation of paternity to be true—requiring prosecutors to prove intent or recklessness beyond reasonable doubt. A woman who was genuinely uncertain about paternity and made an honest mistake has nothing to fear from this law.
Others may claim that DNA testing and legal proceedings will harm children. On the contrary, children are harmed far more by living a lie than by discovering the truth. The Bill ensures that the child’s welfare is the paramount consideration in all proceedings, and truth-telling is the foundation of healthy families.
Paternity fraud is not a women’s issue or a men’s issue—it is a societal issue that degrades our collective moral standards and inflicts harm on the most vulnerable among us: children who deserve to know their true identity.
Hon. Kwame Asare Obeng has shown exemplary leadership in hoping to bring this Bill forward. Now, it is incumbent upon all Members of Parliament, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, and ordinary Ghanaians to rally behind this historic legislation.
The passage of the Paternity Fraud (Criminalisation) Bill will send a clear message: Ghana values truth, protects family integrity, and refuses to tolerate deception that destroys lives. It is time for our laws to catch up with our values.
