- By Shivangi Sharma
- Wed, 10 Dec 2025 09:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A major European investigation has revealed that an anonymous Danish sperm donor unknowingly passed on a dangerous cancer-linked genetic mutation to at least 197 children across 14 countries, raising serious concerns about fertility industry oversight and cross-border regulation. The case first surfaced in May, when it emerged that dozens of babies in Belgium had been conceived using sperm from a single donor, violating the country’s strict limit of six families per donor. That donor was later linked to a mutation in the TP53 gene, a critical gene responsible for protecting the body against cancer.
A joint investigation led by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), involving 14 public service broadcasters including the BBC, has uncovered the far wider scale of the issue. According to the findings, at least 197 children were conceived using the donor’s sperm, with the true number likely to be higher as five European countries have yet to release full data.
The largest number of affected births were reported in Denmark (99 children) and Spain (35 children), with additional cases spread across multiple European nations.
ALSO READ: Chaos Among Teens: Australia's Social Media Ban Sparks 'End Of The World' Reactions
Sperm Bank Under Fire
The donor, a Danish man who donated sperm while he was a student, is believed to have been unaware he carried the mutation. His sperm was distributed through the European Sperm Bank and used over a 17-year period, beginning in 2005.
The TP53 mutation is associated with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare inherited disorder that dramatically increases the risk of several types of cancer throughout life. Medical experts have warned that the consequences for affected children are already severe.
“We have many children who have already developed cancer. Some have already presented with two different cancers, and some have died at a very young age,” said Dr Edwige Kasper, a cancer geneticist at Rouen University Hospital in France, who presented the findings at the European Conference on Human Genetics.
Although the donor’s sperm was shipped to countries including Cyprus, authorities there said no children were conceived using it due to strict national laws limiting sperm donors to a single family. A national investigation launched last spring confirmed Cyprus escaped any direct impact from the scandal.
