HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A woman is suing a Virginia fertility doctor for fathering two of her children without her consent. In the federal lawsuit, Katherine Richards claims Dr. Michael Kiken used his own sperm to impregnate her not once, but twice, first with her daughter and then later with her son.
“How could someone do this in good conscience,” asked Richards.
Richards turned to Kiken, who was then practicing in California at time, when she and her husband were unable to conceive, back in the late 70’s. Richards says she was told the donor would be anonymous but instead Kiken used his own sperm without her knowledge.
“It’s unthinkable. He secretly used his own sperm and now I have to know that he violated me,” said Richards.
Doctor Kiken, still has an active license to practice in Virginia and up until March was a state-contracted physician at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland.
“I’m angry,” said Richard’s daughter, Julie Druyor.
Druyor took a 23AndMe DNA test to learn more about her family’s medical history. However, the results were confusing.
She sought the help of a genealogist and to her surprise, she learned who her father really was. “I am a product of my mother’s abuser, I don’t know if I will ever come to terms with that,” said Druyor.
Kiken did not respond to calls from NewsNation affiliate WRIC and his attorney told them “no comment.”
In court filings, the doctor admits to fathering the children but denies any wrongdoing.
The court documents state he “inserted the sperm of an anonymous, to the plaintiff, donor as requested, which was his own sperm.” He is claiming there is really no harm here because he promised her anonymous sperm and she got anonymous sperm,” said Adam Wolf, Richard’s Attorney.
Online records with the Virginia Board of Medicine show no disciplinary action against the doctor but Wolf and the Richards family call what happened in California “medical rape.”
“Now I look in the mirror and I don’t even recognize myself,” said Druyor. Wolf claims Kiken used his own sperm to impregnate at least one other California woman.
“How many others are just one Christmas DNA test kit away from having their lives forever changed?” asked Richards.