DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

28 May 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Dutch woman traces anonymous sperm donor father via dna banks

May 30, 2017

A Dutch woman has managed to trace her donor father using commercial dna banks in the US, the Volkskrant reports on Tuesday.

Emi Stikkelman, 32, sent three dna samples to dna banks, where a match was found with an Australian woman. Together with family history researcher Els Leijs, she was able to put together a family tree and finally identify her biological father.

Normal dna banks use 20 key markers but commercial agencies can use thousands, allowing them to cast a much wider net of potential relatives, the paper said.

Leijs uses commercial data banks such asĀ  Family Tree, Ancestry and 23andMe which are particularly popular in the US and have been set up to allow people to trace their heritage. ‘Almost all Americans have roots outside the US, in Europe and Africa,’ she said.

Stikkelman and five other donor children have now set up a specialist agency Donor Detectives to help people find their biological father.

‘Donors should register, because sooner or later we will find them, Stikkelman told the paper. ‘It is your right to know where you come from.’

Sperm donors could remain anonymous in the Netherlands up to 2004 and donor children who attempt to trace their father are not helped by the relevant authorities. However, donors who don’t mind being traced can register their interest in their children.’

Stikkelman said that her foundation has already sent 70 samples to dna agencies from people trying to trace their father. ‘There is a group who will do whatever it takes to trace their donor father,’ she said.

Those samples have already led to three people finding sisters, Leijs told the paper.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Small investors sell more homes, rental property supply shrinks
Cracks grow in coalition as Faber clashes with party leaders
Lily growers face restrictions after doctor's pesticide petition
Rain and strong sunshine ahead for the holiday weekend
MPs vote against university degree course language check
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now