Nobody, well at least speaking for myself on this one, is condoning extending parental rights to rapists.

Get a grip.

The pregnancy came as the result of the rape of a woman by a man, and that man should be accorded any sort of parental rights?? No way, Jose, IMO!

I can think of all kinds of scenarios that according a rapist such rights to any children resulting from that act, and none of them are very pleasant to contemplate. There is a principle in our laws in the US (and they are largely derived from English Law,BTW) that no one be allowed to profit from crimes committed, and I believe that principle should be inviolate, regardless, period.

Now, child support by reason of paternity, yes and I say that absolutely! But parental rights of any sort, absolutely not, in fact the rapist birth father should be forbidden any and all contact with the mother, the child, and any adoptive parents as well.

Anything less than such a response to me simply slaps an already abused person, the victim, in the face directly, and where is the justice in that, pray tell?

Unless there’s something fishy with the whole situation, like the father is a relative or married friend of the family or something and she doesn’t want the whole thing revealed. Maybe just taking one look at the child would be a dead give away–Hey, this kid’s got flaming red hair just like adopted uncle Joe!–or–Hey, this kid has the Dumbo ears and black skin like our neighbor Bart, you know, Mary’s husband?

I don’t know…