In a shocking case that has made headlines in South Africa, a baby boy and girl were handed over to the wrong parents after a nurse mixed up their identity tags.
Incredibly, the mistake was only discovered years later, when one of the fathers underwent a paternity test over a child maintenance row.
When both parents gave their DNA, it was discovered that not only was the man not the biological father of the baby, but the woman was not the child’s mother, either.
Dr Ann Skelton was appointed by the court to decide upon the best outcome for the families and the children, now aged four, going forward.
Delivering her assessment this week, Dr Skelton found that the children should remain with the families who raised them, because the bonds between them and the parents were “very strong”.
She said: “The recommendation is that the children should stay with the parents who have raised them and should also be permitted to have contact with their biological parents.”
