The newspaper Keskisuomalainen reports that more than 1,400 paternity tests were carried out in 2005, the vast majority of which were conducted by the National Public Health Institute’s paternity testing laboratory. Twenty-five percent of the tests showed the prospective father was not related to the baby.
In Finland, child welfare authorities can order paternity tests in cases where the identity of the father is in question. Parents unsure about paternity can also order tests in the mail. These can be carried out without the other person’s knowledge, because they require only a hair sample or something similar to be sent back to the lab.
If either parent refuses to submit to a paternity test, the questioning party can petition a judge for a court order.