A man who endured years of sexual abuse by his own mother has been declared the legal father of his younger brother after a dramatic court ruling in Nevada.
A history of abuse and a mother's conviction
Logan Gifford, now 26, first reported the alleged abuse by his mother, Doreene Gifford, to authorities in 2015 when he was 16. He stated the sexual assaults had begun when he was just 10 years old.
Doreene Gifford consistently denied the accusations. However, in the same year her son came forward, she entered an Alford plea to lesser charges of attempted sexual assault and lewdness with a child under 14. This plea allowed her to maintain her innocence while acknowledging that prosecutors had enough evidence to likely secure a conviction at trial.
She was subsequently sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison. Doreene served nine years, was released on parole, and remains a registered sex offender.
The DNA petition and a shocking revelation
During the legal proceedings, Doreene gave birth to another child, claiming the baby was the result of an affair. Rumours about the child's paternity persisted for years.
This speculation led Logan Gifford to file a petition with a Nevada court earlier this year to determine the biological father of his 15-year-old brother. The subsequent DNA test results were complex but revealing.
The analysis showed that both Logan's DNA and their father's DNA matched the younger sibling's by 99.9 percent. While such testing between a parent and sibling is notoriously intricate, the results pointed strongly towards Logan being the biological father.
A court ruling and conflicted emotions
In September, a Clark County judge made a landmark decision. Despite acknowledging the DNA test did not reach a definitive scientific conclusion, the judge ruled that Logan Gifford was the legal father of his brother. This ruling was issued as a default judgment after Logan's father, Theodore Gifford, failed to respond to the case.
Speaking to People magazine prior to the ruling, Logan revealed a therapist had first raised the possibility that his brother might be his son. He admitted to having conflicted emotions about the outcome.
"It's really a peculiar feeling if I'm being transparent. I feel partially vindicated," he said. "I am happy that the trial is concluded... I also feel sorry for my brother. Clearly, this is a tragic situation and I know he is ready to start the road to recovery."
The case highlights extreme failures in safeguarding and leaves a young teenager grappling with an unimaginable family dynamic as a result of his mother's crimes.
