this boy, a 13-year-old father?

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<p>The Sun is quite trashy, but it is legit news. In fact, it’s the most widely read paper in the UK. In case you’re not familiar with UK papers… all those ones at the bottom are the ‘normal’ newspapers.</p>

<p>[ABCs:</a> National daily newspaper circulation January 2009 | Media | guardian.co.uk](<a href=“http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/table/2009/feb/06/abcs-january-national-newspapers]ABCs:”>http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/table/2009/feb/06/abcs-january-national-newspapers)</p>

<p>Many people think of the Brits as all sophisticated and intelligent, but this is really only a tiny sliver of the population (mostly those that travel outside the UK and visit the US). In fact if you look at the US newspaper readership figures we come out looking quite good. Sure the USA Today is a bit ‘dumbed down’ news, but I’ll put it up against the Sun, Mirror, Star etc. any day of th week! ;-)</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.burrellesluce.com/top100/2008_Top_100List.pdf[/url]”>http://www.burrellesluce.com/top100/2008_Top_100List.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.burrellesluce.com/top100/2008_Top_100List.pdf[/url]”>http://www.burrellesluce.com/top100/2008_Top_100List.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Did you catch in the video when the reporter asks him, “What are you going to do financially?” and he responds, “What’s ‘financially’?”</p>

<p>No way… Theres no freaking way…</p>

<p>I agree with getting a paternity test! He doesn’t look like puberty has hit yet.</p>

<p>Thank goodness this is only 1 baby we are talking about, and not a multiple birth with complications.</p>

<p>It’s certainly possible. The growth spurt and facial hair don’t have to match up with the beginnings of fertility. A baby face and short stature doesn’t mean he’s shooting blanks.</p>

<p>Have we become so PC that a 14 y/o mother is immune to any rebuke?</p>

<p>^That’s what I said…sort of…</p>

<p>Toblin, I don’t think anybody considers it a <em>good</em> thing…but rebuke won’t make the reality of that baby go away. </p>

<p>Shrinkwrap: the news article used the term “boyfriend”. But yeah, no question that our culture is less condemning of women who go after young boys than men who go after young girls. Shouldn’t be that way, but it is.</p>

<p>[Second</a> boy claims to be dad in UK baby case - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/15/boy.baby.dad.england/index.html]Second”>http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/15/boy.baby.dad.england/index.html)</p>

<p>An older boy is now claiming that he could be the father. I had a feeling all along that an older boy was responsible and the younger boy was a “cover”. </p>

<p>Time for a paternity test.</p>

<p>This story has been front page news in ALL the UK papers: broadsheets as well as tabloids. It’s news because of the great fear that we’re living in ‘Broken Britain.’ The age of consent here is 16. And the fact that two other boys have come forward claiming to be the father is particularly worrying because it shows that the first boy’s ‘celebrity status’ is something enviable. This is a depressing story in every single aspect…</p>

<p>[Richard</a> Goodsell: I’m the real daddy, Alfie and I want a DNA test to prove it | News | News Of The World](<a href=“The News of the World”>The News of the World)</p>

<p>Richard looks a little more believable…</p>

<p>And Chantelle, the 15-year-old mother, is proud of all this??</p>

<p>If the story in the link above is true this is even sadder than the original story. The girl is holding regular sleepovers and having sex in her bed with five or more boys…where are the parents in all of this?</p>

<p>I also do not understand in the news stories where it talks about that the boy (s) was allowed to share a bed with Chantelle. In other words, it was not secretive that they slept together.</p>

<p>“Many people think of the Brits as all sophisticated and intelligent, but this is really only a tiny sliver of the population”
This notion was made very clear to me when I lived there many years ago. I was getting my hair done at a local salon. The stylist was a young man who appeared to be from the same socioeconomic group as Chantelle and Alfie. He showed me a picture of his siblings - one of whom was most decidedly black. I asked who it was and he explained that it was a full brother - same mom and dad as he who was as white as a sheet. I just nodded and he explained to me that his mum said that sometimes these inexplicable genetic phenotypes just happen! In fact, he had a term for it that escapes me now.
Good Lord, you should have seen the eyes rolling in the salon while he was going on about his dear mum! Yes, there is quite an underbelly in merry olde England! It’s not all high tea and Oxbridge.</p>

<p>"LONDON - A DNA test will be performed to determine if a 13-year-old boy fathered a baby with his 15-year-old girlfriend, his spokesman said Monday.</p>

<p>The test comes after a Sunday tabloid newspaper reported that two other teenage boys have come forward claiming to be the father of the newborn baby girl.</p>

<p>Spokesman Max Clifford said the parents of Alfie Patten, 13, said the tests would be done “as soon as possible” to determine paternity…"
[DNA</a> test for boy, 13, who says he’s a dad - Europe- msnbc.com](<a href=“http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29222844/]DNA”>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29222844/)</p>

<p>I wonder. If and when little Alfie finds out that he’s not the dad after all, will he feel more disappointed, or relieved?</p>

<p>If he’s not the dad, little Alfie can go on and play his little childish games with his mates – which is as it should be.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, considering the attention he’s received when everyone thought he was the dad, he’ll probably impregnate someone else within the year.</p>

<p>He is probably very wealthy already - attention = $$$.</p>

<p>From [Playtime</a> for baby-faced 13-year-old dad Alfie Patten | The Sun |News](<a href=“http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2238252.ece]Playtime”>http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2238252.ece)

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<p>I think the tagging of Alfie as the dad is all about money – he’s probably the kid who appears to have the richest parent.</p>