A man is seeking to legally renounce paternity of the children he thought were his after a DNA test confirmed he is not their father.

John Vella yesterday filed an application in the first hall of the Civil Court, in its Constitutional jurisdiction.

In the application, Mr Vella explained that he is married to Dorianne Vella, although the two no longer reside in the same household. Mrs Vella has young twins, who Mr Vella thought were his.

Since he had not questioned paternity of these children within the six month following their birth, the law contends that the man cannot file a lawsuit on the issue.

The law, on the other hand allowed Mr Vella’s mother to file a case regarding the paternity of the twins, as an interested party. The court ruled against Grace Vella since she was not able to provide proof of the physical impossibility that Mr and Mrs Vella were together at the time of conception.

In the course of this case, however, scientific expert Chris Farrugia provided DNA evidence that showed there was no doubt that Mr Vella was not the twins’ natural father.

Therefore, in yesterday’s application, Mr Vella asked for the court to order his name and details to be removed from the children’s birth certificates. He also asked for compensation for all the child support payment he made for children that he had not fathered.