LONDON, March 17 (UPI) -- Some advocates for battered women are voicing concerns after Britain's Parliament passed a law requiring birth certificates to list the father's name.
Proponents of the change say it will nail down absentee fathers to be responsible for the support of their children. However, The Daily Telegraph Tuesday said there are concerns about the safety of battered women.
"A pregnant woman could, in theory, escape domestic violence only to find that her abuser has registered himself as the father of her child and has automatic rights to the child," said Janet Allbeson of the advocacy group Gingerbread.
The Telegraph said about 7 percent of babies born in the U.K. every year are registered without a father being named.
Under the new law, the mother would list the dad unless she doesn't know who it is. Men would be allowed to contest the honor through DNA testing.
