Belgian Agency Investigates Whether Dutch Mass Donor Also Fathered Children in Belgium
The Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG) has launched an investigation into whether a Dutch mass sperm donor from the Groningen region also fathered children in Belgium, following revelations that the man, identified as “Simon,” has fathered at least 121 children in the Netherlands. The probe comes as authorities on both sides of the border grapple with regulatory gaps in sperm donation oversight.
The investigation follows an exposé by the Dutch investigative program Nieuwsuur, which revealed that the 43-year-old donor has been active for more than 15 years, using multiple aliases including Jesse, Johan, Daan, Sam, and Maarten at various sperm banks while also contacting prospective mothers through websites.
Possible Children in Belgium
According to research journalist Judith Pennarts, who led the Nieuwsuur investigation, the donor allegedly told one mother that he has fathered children for 10 families in Germany and 6 families in Belgium. The Dutch Stichting Donorkind (Donor Child Foundation) confirmed it is in contact with a group of Dutch mothers who collectively have 121 children from this donor.
VRT NWS reported that the FAGG will investigate whether the donor donated at Belgian fertility clinics and whether he also operated through other channels, such as online or private arrangements, as he did in the Netherlands. FAGG spokesperson Ann Eeckhout stated: “We are now requesting all formal information via the Dutch authorities. Based on those media reports, it appears that there is fraud involved.”
A Donor Operating Outside the System
The donor allegedly lied to prospective mothers about how many children he had already fathered and reportedly offered his sperm through sexual intercourse with prospective mothers, a practice known as the “natural method.” VRT NWS reported that the man’s activities extend beyond official fertility clinics, operating largely through websites and private arrangements that fall outside regulatory oversight. According to the report, Simon contacted prospective mothers through websites where they would arrange “home inseminations,” and he also offered his sperm through sexual intercourse.
In the Netherlands, a sperm donor is legally allowed to donate to a maximum of 12 families since 2025. Previously, the limit at fertility clinics was 25 children. However, both in the Netherlands and Belgium, sperm donation that occurs outside fertility clinics is not subject to the same legal limits—a regulatory gap that allowed Simon to operate largely unchecked.
Government Knowledge and Inaction
Perhaps most troubling, the Dutch Ministry of Health (VWS) reportedly knew since August 2017 that Simon was a mass donor but took no action. In 2019, Simon even sat on a government committee that evaluated the Dutch donor law (Wdkb), despite being a mass donor himself. Nieuwsuur revealed that Dutch Minister Sophie Hermans acknowledged the failure: “This man should never have been allowed to sit on the advisory committee. That this happened is deeply regrettable.”
The Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) says it was not aware of this donor and calls the case “very undesirable.” However, the inspectorate noted that it only oversees care in clinics, not what happens in the private sphere.
Ties van der Meer, chairman of Stichting Donorkind, was blunt about the situation: “This man must be stopped.” The foundation is considering legal action similar to the case against Jonathan Meijer, the Dutch mass donor who was banned from donating sperm by court order in 2023.
Belgium’s Regulatory Reforms Under Scrutiny
The FAGG investigation comes in the wake of a broader Belgian donor scandal that emerged in 2025, involving a Danish donor with a cancer-causing genetic mutation (TP53) who fathered 52-53 children in Belgium. In Belgium, the legal limit for sperm donation has been 6 families per donor since 2007.
Following the 2025 crisis, the FAGG implemented a comprehensive reform plan in April 2026, including lifting donor anonymity and creating a central donor registry (Fertidata). The reforms came after at least 7 Belgian fertility centers were found to have exceeded the legal limit of 6 families per sperm donor, involving 35 donors total.
Cross-Border Challenges Ahead
The case highlights the cross-border nature of sperm donation and the need for international cooperation between regulatory authorities. The FAGG’s investigation into whether Simon fathered children in Belgium raises fundamental questions about how to effectively monitor donors who operate across national boundaries and outside official clinical settings.
As OOG TV noted, the donor is still active, with one woman reportedly 9 weeks pregnant by him at the time of the investigation’s publication. The Dutch Stichting Donorkind and affected mothers are calling for urgent action to stop him from donating further.
What to Watch For
The FAGG’s investigation will determine whether Simon donated at Belgian fertility clinics and whether any Belgian families are affected. The outcome could have significant implications for donor regulation across Europe, as countries grapple with how to close the regulatory gaps that allow mass donors to operate across borders. The case also raises questions about accountability—both for the donor himself and for the government agencies that knew about his activities but failed to act.