A Dutch sperm donor known as "Simon" has admitted to fathering at least 199 children across Europe, far more than parents had previously been told, after being accused of repeatedly misleading them about the true scale of his donations. The 43-year-old, from the Groningen region, disclosed the figure in a letter sent to parents on 29 August, following years of allegations that he had lied about donor numbers and continued donating despite requests to stop. The case is the latest in a string of scandals involving prolific Dutch sperm donors, and raises fresh concerns about oversight of informal donation arrangements made outside regulated fertility clinics.

Simon said 172 of the children were born in the Netherlands, with 11 in Belgium, 15 in Germany and one elsewhere in Europe, plus one further pregnancy under way, up sharply from the 121 previously known cases. He operated under several aliases, including Jesse, Johan, Daan, Sam and Maarten, donating through sperm banks but mainly arranging donations privately online. The Dutch health ministry reportedly knew of his prolific donating since 2017 yet took no action, and he was later appointed to a government committee on donor legislation; Belgian authorities have now opened an investigation. Simon says he has stopped donating and will seek professional help, in a case that echoes that of fellow Dutch donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer, banned by a court in 2023 after fathering an estimated 550 to over 1,000 children.