Comments on: Better an abused system than no system at all

By: Vince

Vince — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:34:17 +0000

@ Lucy…..if you or other women like you had tried to hold the ” unkown father” responsible for his actions the number of “unknown fathers” might start to go down rather than up.

The child is his responsibility and he should be made to pay for the child’s support, as it is now some of them can go around impregnating women at will. Maybe instead of having to do on a measley 112 you’d have another 112 from the “unknown father”.

By: John Schembri

John Schembri — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:11:58 +0000

@ Lucy : I know of a case like yours and the girl was in the same situation you are in, she did not opt for ‘unknown father’ ,and she had a long uphill struggle to obtain full custody of her child .In my opinion you are right about pigeonholing your child as unknown father , perhaps “Father is not man enough to shoulder his responsibilities” would have been better.
The problem lies in our Victorian judicial system.The ‘police’ should proceed against the irresponsible father and the latter should be made to fork out maintenance money from his wage or his pension fund.
Social Services are meant for basic needs.

By: Maria Vella

Maria Vella — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:08:30 +0000

so the numbers given by Minister Gatt are wrong. As you where :)

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:45:49 +0000

Another one who’s obsessed with other people’s sex lives. What are the odds that “he’s” a member of AN – along with all the other parties, that is?

By: Peter Muscat

Peter Muscat — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:49:50 +0000

@ Cora …. Never jump to any conclusions!Capish?

Whatever he reason might be for registering a child as father unknown is always condemnable.It is a child’s everlasting stigma.The more time passes the more it hurts.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:48:02 +0000

I’d like to thank Daphne for this article and for putting into perspective certain points in the life of a single parent which not everyone is able to realise. I am a single parent and I have registered my child as unknown father. True to what Daphne said I have questioned my decision through these past years about whether I had in any way diminished my child’s dignity. It is a hard decision to make and as a mother I would never bear my son being hurt especially by a decision as important as this. However, I am neither a “twit”, nor a “whore” or any of the other adjectives used above. My decision was based on the fact that I would rather explain to my child the situation in which he was conceived and hope that when he is old enough he will understand and respect the fact that I was looking out for him in the very first place. It is not easy to grow up not knowing who your father is yet isn’t it harder for a child knowing he was never loved and wanted by his own father. Wouldn’t it hurt more for that same child to be ignored by that same father for all of his childhood and teenage years. I believe that the term unknown father is not only incorrect but also offensive. Has any one ever thought about changing the term to perhaps something more realistic as in father refusing to claim his own child. As with regards to our systems please let’s not even go there. Why should I even bother to take this unknown father to court and not only pay a lawyer for his services but be made to beg for a miserly sum which would not help my son in any way. I would rather further my studies, work part-time and give my child all that he needs. That is dignity. Of course, there is abuse and of course it should be controlled. Yet what about other benefits for the genuine cases. Shouldn’t there be incentives for single mothers like me that perhaps want to further their studies whilst their child is still very young? Do you actually believe that with Lm112 per month you can give the child all he needs and manage to study?

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:21:22 +0000

Peter Muscat: You wouldn’t know, given that you do not know me at all – any more than you would know why a mother would prefer not to register her child’s father’s name.

By: Peter Muscat

Peter Muscat — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:26:51 +0000

@ Dear Cora …. You are right, I am a very busy man! Howver,your puerile insinuation are not!!

But of course that is an important part of your character, isn’t it?

By: Corinne Vella

Corinne Vella — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:41:36 +0000

Peter Muscat: Don’t you have a Very Important Business to run, full of employees bled dry by the blood banks at your request? Why are you wasting time online?

By: Peter Muscat

Peter Muscat — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:15:31 +0000

@ Cora …. That situation can ONLY happen if someone is raped and the rapist is blindfolded. But today a DNA test would even solve that.It is NEVER lack of knowledge. My God, whatever motives are behind that behaviour is condemnable and unacceptable.

Any ‘twit’ registerring a ‘child as father unknown’ does that for her selfish interests and at the expense of the child’s dignity. Nothing less nothing more.

A life long shame on such individuals.