Natural fathers of extramarital children should have an inherent right of access to their children!

Abstract

The story which I am about to relate is a true one. However, to protect the privacy of the parties concerned, their names have been changed. I have a friend called Bob. Bob is the biological father of a five-year-old girl called Ethel. Avril is Ethel's mother. Five and a half years ago, Bob and Avril entered into a short sexual relation commonly known as a one-night stand. Eight months later and out of this brief encounter was produced a tiny baby girl which Avril claimed was Bob's child and which he unquestionably accepted. Bob thus acknowledged paternity of this child and formalised it by entering his name as the father on the birth register. He then proceeded to pay maintenance support every month without fail into Avril's bank account and continues to do so today. Bob also paid half of all Avril's lying-in expenses.