00:00In the aftermath of Monday's news conference, the country is grappling with deep questions about the true meaning of fatherhood and the emotional toll of deception in cases of wrongful paternity.
00:13President of the Fathers Association, Rundle Fields, says that when a man has invested emotionally, financially and psychologically in raising a child only to later discover, through DNA testing, that he's not the biological father, the impact can be devastating.
00:32Fields stresses that men should not be forced to remain in situations that are traumatic or emotionally unbearable.
00:39So in some situations, some persons just needed to disconnect.
00:45And we have to be able to understand that.
00:48I've seen all the write-ups of persons talking about fatherhood is more than just DNA testing and all these things.
00:53I totally agree with those things.
00:55But at the end of the day, you cannot force someone to be a part of a traumatic experience.
01:01You have to understand that the man is also, the man is most likely the most traumatized.
01:05Fields adds that counseling must be extended to both adults and children, emphasizing that the emotional fallout on the child can be especially profound.
01:17Our ministry of the people, to prepare themselves, make sure you have counselors sitting there, should tell the judiciary, to prepare themselves.
01:25Make sure you have family counselors available for people who go through this trauma.
01:29What about the children?
01:30We must stop being so selfish and so sensitive when we bring out information that may not make women look in a good light sometimes.
01:39But if it is the truth, it is the truth.
01:41But let us focus.
01:42Forget about the man who we shouldn't be forgetting about because he hurt too.
01:45But let's focus on the children.
01:48That is 143 children whose life has been dismantled innocently as well.
01:54Fields underscores that the statistics, 440 paternity tests conducted at a judiciary certified lab between 2020 and September 2025,
02:07revealing that 143 men, or one in three, were not the biological fathers, cannot be brushed off as private matters.
02:16He tells the TV6 Morning Edition, these numbers reflect a deeper social problem, affecting people emotionally, mentally and legally.
02:25He says, each percentage point represents a family shaken to its core.
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