Man in China seeks divorce from wife of 16 years after paternity tests reveal 3 daughters he raised are not his children
- A man in China is seeking a divorce after discovering his wife has been having an affair and the couple’s three children are not his
- He initially forgave his wife for cheating, but changed his mind after paternity tests revealed the truth about their children’s parentage
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A 45-year-old man in China is divorcing his wife of 16 years after discovering the three daughters he raised are not his biological children.
The man, surnamed Chen, from Jiangxi province, eastern China, has filed for a divorce from his wife, surnamed Yu, after discovering she cheated on him during their marriage and that the couple’s three daughters were conceived with another man.
Chen worked away from home to support his family, but said he initially never suspected his wife of infidelity as they maintained close contact with frequent voice and video calls.
However, he became suspicious earlier this year when his wife started avoiding his calls and said she wanted to work away from home, China Jiangxi Radio and TV Station reported yesterday.
Chen decided to follow Yu by tracking her mobile phone’s GPS location. On March 1, Chen traced Yu to a hotel in eastern China where she was staying. The next morning Chen saw his wife checking out of the hotel with a man she had been having an affair with.
Chen initially forgave Yu, but sought a paternity test that revealed their youngest daughter was fathered by another man. However, Chen chose to stay in the marriage to keep the family together.
This changed when further paternity tests revealed the couple’s other two daughters were also not Chen’s biological children.
After this shocking revelation, Yu disappeared and Chen was unable to locate her. He then sought help from local media and was pictured crying with his head in his hands during an interview with China Jiangxi Radio and TV Station.
“None of them was my own child,” said Chen during the interview.
Yu, however, remained unrepentant and when tracked down and interviewed by the TV station, she reasoned her behaviour was not infidelity.
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“I don’t think I cheated on him. Is biological paternity really important? Couples who are sterile adopt kids all the time,” Yu said in a phone interview.
She also criticised Chen for seeking a divorce after discovering their three daughters were conceived with another man.
“Please try to empathise with me. The three children called him ‘dad’ for many years, but now he says the daughters are not his own. What is the difference between him and an animal?”
Chinese social media was filled with commentary critical of Yu’s behaviour and disrespect towards her husband.
“How upset the husband was! Is Yu mentally ill?,” asked one online commenter.
Another asked: “Chen could get compensation with the help of the courts. But how can he heal his broken heart after 16 years?
“The husband could file for a divorce if he believed his wife’s behaviour severely harmed their relationship,” a lawyer, surnamed Zhou, from Beijing Zhongchi Law Firm told China Jiangxi Radio and TV Station.
“When he applies for a divorce, not only would the law encourage him to ask his wife to reimburse support payments and other expenses he paid for the three children, but he could also seek damages for psychological suffering.”
Another lawyer, surnamed Yu, from AllBright Law Offices told NetEase: “Chinese law regulates that the person who caused harm to the other partner in a marriage may lose any share of assets in a subsequent divorce.”
