Argentina court upholds paternity recognition despite DNA evidence

A man filed a petition in Río Cuarto, Argentina, seeking to annul a 1996 legal recognition of a son he claimed was not his biological child. Genetic testing confirmed the lack of paternity, but the Court of Appeals ruled that a recognition of filiation is an “irrevocable” family act that can only be nullified through an action of nullity when a defect of will is proven. The majority held that the father had known or suspected the absence of a biological link when he recognized the child and that he later failed to seek clarification, thereby legitimising the status for an extended period. Consequently, the court denied the request to reverse the recognition. In a dissenting opinion, a judge argued that the conclusive biological evidence should allow annulment, but the ruling affirmed the legal stability of the recognized filiation.