The request is no different from asking to change his name or gender, he argues
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A 69-year-old Dutchman has kicked off a legal battle to slash 20 years off his age.
Emile Ratelband said that he feels like his mind and body is just 40 or 45 years of age, according to The Washington Post. He told a court in his hometown of Arnhem in the Netherlands that he wants his birth certificate to reflect a birth date of 11 March 1969 instead of 11 March 1949, The Guardian reported.
The self-styled “positivity guru” said that the request is no different from asking to change his name or gender. It is a question of free will, he said.
Ratelband said that the age change would make his life much better. He said he is discriminated on dating services because of his age. The age change would also make it easier to get more work and to obtain financing for a house or a car.
The man, who described himself in court as a “young god,” claims that doctors have told him he has the body of a 45-year-old man, The Guardian said. He said he is willing to give up his Dutch pension if granted the age change.
The judges hearing the case are expected to rule on the request in the coming weeks.
