The court on Wednesday ruled that the interests of those who want to know if they are descended from the doctor outweighed the interests of Karbaat’s widow and heirs.

“If he did [use his own sperm], without announcing it at the time, his widow and other heirs cannot claim that the doctor’s anonymity should be respected,” the judge said.

It is feared that as many as 200 children may have been fathered by Karbaat. Clinical tests in 2017 suggested a high level of certainty about the paternity of 47 children.