Sued for increasing the risk of endogamy 
A Dutch sperm donor, accused of fathering 550 children, is facing legal action aimed at stopping him from continuing to donate, over fears his prolific giving could increase the risk of accidental endogamy, The Dutch News reported.
Who is the serial sperm donor?![]()
Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a musician from The Hague, was described as an “obsessive” sperm donor by the Dutch gynecologists’ society, who first issued a warning about Meijer in 2017, according to the Dutch news outlet.
Who is suing the compulsive donor?
Meijer is being sued by the mother of one of the children he fathered, as well as Donorkind, a Dutch organization for children conceived via sperm donations.
Meijer lied about how many children he’d fathered![]()
The mother, known as Eva, had a child using Meijer’s sperm in 2018. She claims that Meijer promised her he had only fathered a maximum of 25 donor children, reported The Telegraph.
Protecting her child
Eva told The Telegraph: “When I think about the consequences this could have for my child, I get a bad gut feeling and I become uncertain about his future: how many more children will be added?”
Limit exceeded![]()
According to Dutch regulations, the use of each donation per person is limited to the fertility process of 12 women or the birth of 25 children.
Risk of endogamy 
Looking to avoid problems![]()
The cap is aimed at avoiding precisely these problems, but also psychological ones that can arise when people find out they have hundreds of half siblings, Donorkind said.
Previously placed on a Dutch donation blacklist
Meijer, who now lives in Kenya, was placed on a Dutch donation blacklist after The New York Times published an investigation into his case in 2021.
Donated in other countries![]()
Despite the restriction, Meijer continued to donate his sperm abroad, including in Denmark and Ukraine, according to The Telegraph.
Offering himself on the Internet
As if that were not enough, Meijer also offered his services on specialized websites or on social networks, which took his seed all over the world, according to the plaintiffs.
Clinics investigated![]()
Among the requests made in the lawsuit, it is requested that all clinics where Meijer donated be investigated and that his sperm be destroyed if it is still preserved.
“Donor dad, vaccinated and very healthy”
Meijer defined himself in the trial as a “donor father, vaccinated and very healthy” and argued that the petition of the plaintiffs was something like a “legal castration”, according to Spanish paper El País. He added that donating was his job.
“A service with added value”![]()
In fact, the defendant assured in court that his donations are “a service with added value”, adding that he is in contact with some of his children and goes to see them on designated dates.
100,000 euros for each child
In the lawsuit, Donorkind requests a fine of 100,000 euros from the “donor father” each time he repeats his donations. If he keeps up, the fine would be historic.
Dangerous for children![]()
Donorkind lawyer Mark de Hek described Meijer’s behavior as “dangerous for the mental well-being and health of donor children.”
Is what this sperm donor did a crime?
