Region | Egypt
Egypt ruling raises hopes for children of unknown parentage
A ruling passed by a Cairo court in a high-profile paternity case, involving a single mother and a celebrated actor, has raised hopes for thousands of children of unknown parentage, according to experts.
- By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
- Published: 00:00 May 26, 2006
Cairo: A ruling passed by a Cairo court in a high-profile paternity case, involving a single mother and a celebrated actor, has raised hopes for thousands of children of unknown parentage, according to experts.
The Cairo Appeals Court on Wednesday upheld a lawsuit filed by decoration designer Hind Al Hennawi that young actor and TV presenter Ahmad Al Fishawi is the father of her two-year-old child.
The ruling capped an unprecedented legal tug-of-war, which has riveted the attention of Egyptians and the local media for more than two years.
"I am happy at this bold ruling because it does justice to the innocent baby at the centre of the dispute," said Huda Badran, the chairperson of the Arab Women's Association.
She told Gulf News that the ruling would encourage single mothers to come forward and fight in court to prove the parentage of their children. Under Egyptian law, a child's birth certificate cannot be issued without the father's name.
Al Hennawi, 27, confirms that her child is the result of a brief, secret marriage to Al Fishawi, 24, who denied such a marriage, but admitted to having a sexual liaison with her.
"We do not encourage secret marriage. On the contrary, our association, an umbrella of eight pro-women groups, launches campaigns to promote awareness among young people to avoid secret marriage or what is locally known as orfi," Badran noted.
There are around 14,000 children of unknown parentage in Egypt, though Badran says it is difficult to know their actual number due to the secrecy and social disgrace associated with the issue.
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