Twins separated at birth marry each other WITHOUT knowing they are brother and s

[bijou]

Twins separated at birth have married each other without realising they were brother and sister, it has been revealed.

The British couple have now been granted an annulment after a special High Court hearing. Judges ruled the marriage had never validly existed.


Full details of how the brother and sister fell in love and married have been kept secret, along with their identities.

But the Evening Standard has learned that they were separated soon after birth.

Each was then adopted by different families but neither was told they had a twin.

The couple had no idea they were blood relatives until after their wedding.


The case was heard recently in the High Court's Family Division.

Experts warn that it highlights the need for the rights of children to know the identity of their parents to be strengthened.

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This must have been devastating for the couple.  It is bound to come up again as an issue in the future though because of the spread of sperm donation and fertility treatments.  It is so important for parents to be honest with their children whether about adoption or donation.

[Celtic Rose]

I can't even imagine how awful that must have been for them 

[jtyangel]

I agree with you, bijou. I think I have heard of a couple of instances in lower income communities of half siblings creating children together because the lines of lineage are so precarious with the various mixings of dna, with several half siblings being within a block or two of one another.

[bijou]

I agree with you, bijou. I think I have heard of a couple of instances in lower income communities of half siblings creating children together because the lines of lineage are so precarious with the various mixings of dna, with several half siblings being within a block or two of one another.

That does happen, people often think that it is a rural problem because of the isolation. But it happens when people don't want to marry out of their small ethnic group or they are 'isolated' by living in a ghetto of sorts and not interacting outside of a relatively small range of people. So it is a problem for cities too.

[jtyangel]

I agree with you, bijou. I think I have heard of a couple of instances in lower income communities of half siblings creating children together because the lines of lineage are so precarious with the various mixings of dna, with several half siblings being within a block or two of one another.

That does happen, people often think that it is a rural problem because of the isolation. But it happens when people don't want to marry out of their small ethnic group or they are 'isolated' by living in a ghetto of sorts and not interacting outside of a relatively small range of people. So it is a problem for cities too.

Yes, and an urban area is precisely what I was thinking of. I can remember places like Goulds in Miami where I'm fairly certain many residents of the community did not leave that immediate area much. I do remember some talk as well of a few of the couplings that were relatives unknowningly. The matriarchs usually try to keep a handle on whose child is whose I think more for a matter that the children do know who their siblings are in the interest of relationships, but there are many children that are products of cheating out of the primary relationship that don't get the attention. And there are MANY of those relationships out of the primary one.

What I'm about to say is only speculation and my own observation of course, but this community had very high rates of asthma and some birth defects. At the time, I thought perhaps(like the good little liberal I was) that it was due to their living conditions. Anymore, I have to wonder if it is not unknown couplings of half siblings and cousins that are creating genetic problems for their offspring.

[Chris_]

I've read that newer medical studies have found that birth defects from inbreeding isn't as common as it was once thought. Anyone else hear/read that?

[bijou]

I agree with you, bijou. I think I have heard of a couple of instances in lower income communities of half siblings creating children together because the lines of lineage are so precarious with the various mixings of dna, with several half siblings being within a block or two of one another.

That does happen, people often think that it is a rural problem because of the isolation. But it happens when people don't want to marry out of their small ethnic group or they are 'isolated' by living in a ghetto of sorts and not interacting outside of a relatively small range of people. So it is a problem for cities too.

Yes, and an urban area is precisely what I was thinking of. I can remember places like Goulds in Miami where I'm fairly certain many residents of the community did not leave that immediate area much. I do remember some talk as well of a few of the couplings that were relatives unknowningly. The matriarchs usually try to keep a handle on whose child is whose I think more for a matter that the children do know who their siblings are in the interest of relationships, but there are many children that are products of cheating out of the primary relationship that don't get the attention. And there are MANY of those relationships out of the primary one.

What I'm about to say is only speculation and my own observation of course, but this community had very high rates of asthma and some birth defects. At the time, I thought perhaps(like the good little liberal I was) that it was due to their living conditions. Anymore, I have to wonder if it is not unknown couplings of half siblings and cousins that are creating genetic problems for their offspring.

That may well be right, there was a campaign here among some ethnic communities trying to persuade people not to do the traditional marrying cousins thing because of the high rates of genetic difficulties. In talking to a couple of social workers who were working with disabled children and their families they were quite clear that Orthodox Jews and Muslims from Pakistan and Bangladesh had very high rates of congenital disabilities due to inbreeding.  It's a sensitive topic but it seems that it is starting to be talked about more.

[bijou]

I've read that newer medical studies have found that birth defects from inbreeding isn't as common as it was once thought. Anyone else hear/read that?

Sounds familiar to me too, I think there is much less risk for a child of a 'one off' incident.  The problem comes when the couple each have a parent who is a cousin or whatever, and the grandparents were also in some way related, it is more of a problem where there has been repeated intermarriage down the generations.

[DixieBelle]

Cultural in-breeding beliefs aside, this is even more troubling in today's world given two factors:

1. assisted reproduction and anonymity that comes along with it
2. the seemingly indiscriminate breeding and lack of a traditional family unit - who knows who the parents are??

Scary stuff. I think when my son is ready to marry, we'll do DNA testing. Seriously!

[jtyangel]

I've read that newer medical studies have found that birth defects from inbreeding isn't as common as it was once thought. Anyone else hear/read that?

I think I remember that, but it was more distant relation then brother and sister from what I recall. Cousins maybe? Can't remember.

[jtyangel]

I've read that newer medical studies have found that birth defects from inbreeding isn't as common as it was once thought. Anyone else hear/read that?

Sounds familiar to me too, I think there is much less risk for a child of a 'one off' incident.  The problem comes when the couple each have a parent who is a cousin or whatever, and the grandparents were also in some way related, it is more of a problem where there has been repeated intermarriage down the generations.

That's what I was thinking. Where there are generations of this in what I'd call 'culturally isolated' communities(that would include some urban communities), it creates compounding problems.

[jtyangel]

Cultural in-breeding beliefs aside, this is even more troubling in today's world given two factors:

1. assisted reproduction and anonymity that comes along with it
2. the seemingly indiscriminate breeding and lack of a traditional family unit - who knows who the parents are??

Scary stuff. I think when my son is ready to marry, we'll do DNA testing. Seriously!

Yep. #2 option is what I was eluding too in certain communities. 

[DixieBelle]

I'm thinking that the phrase "Who yo' baby daddy/mama?" Doesn't come up enough. 

[Chris_]

I'm thinking that the phrase "Who yo' baby daddy/mama/cousin/a,b, or c/all of the above?" Doesn't come up enough.

[Hawkgirl]

Pretty interesting how they found eachother....maybe there really is a stronger connection amoungst twins....even more so that we thought.

[Chris_]

Wonder how long they were married and if it was consumated.