Panama’s National Assembly approved Bill 510 to punish paternity fraud with prison. The proposing deputy, Jairo Salazar, explained that the initiative seeks to prevent deception and clarified that “the measure is not intended to go against women, but rather to punish a specific conduct that affects the family”.
This controversial measure arises because currently there are only options in the civil sphere that do not fully protect those affected on an emotional and financial level. If approved by President José Raúl Mulino, the law will impose two to five years in prison and fines that will be calculated according to the person’s salary. They could be around 10,000 dollars or more.
One curious fact is that the action to claim the deception will not be subject to a statute of limitations, which means that the affected person will be able to demand justice at any time regardless of how many years have passed.
In addition, the approved text details that the judge will mandatorily order scientific DNA tests, and refusing them will be considered “serious evidence” against the person.
