"Duped ‘Dads’ Aren’t the Only Ones Hurt by Paternity Fraud"

Terry Brennan emailed this interesting story on paternity fraud by Diana Diamond from a paper in Santa Barbara:

Countless children go through life not knowing the true identity of their fathers.
Shame on their mothers, and shame on the U.S. court system that — more often than you realize — forces child support on men with no DNA connection.

These false establishments of paternity, as they are called, happen in courts across the country. Our broken family-court system is intent on getting someone — anyone — on record as being responsible for the child so the state won’t be.

The result? Circles of victimized people.

First, the children who are denied the truth about whom their biological father is, the hereditary disease they may develop, their heritage, extended family and inheritance rights.

Then there is the innocent man and his family. They are robbed of hard-earned cash and emotional well-being, living with an unfair court order — one that demands compliance for as long as 18 years — takes a terrible toll.

I agree that others besides the duped dad are hurt by paternity fraud and the group Women Against Paternity fraud mentioned in the article are fighting for consideration for grandmothers, aunts and wives of falsely accused men.

However, why aren’t men worthy of being fought for in these cases? Why is it that only when a female or child is harmed will society, groups or legislators consider doing something? Why don’t men’s rights matter here?