Historic verdict: Court awards compensation to a Romani woman for sterilization for the first time

[bos1]

Source: Czech Press

Today the Regional Court in Ostrava awarded compensation of CZK 500 000 to a 30-year-old Romani woman, Iveta Červeňáková, for having been sterilized against her will. Ostrava City Hospital is to pay the damages. Jana Koláčková of the League of Human Rights informed Romea.cz of the decision. According to Kumar Vishwanathan of the Vzájemné soužití (Life Together) civic association, this is most likely the historically first case of compensation being awarded to a woman who was sterilized against her will. Holubová was sterilized 10 years ago. "She was not sufficiently informed and did not even learn she had had such surgery until seven years later," Vishwanathan said.

The Regional Court in Ostrava ruled that the woman, whom doctors sterilized without her proper consent, is entitled to an apology and compensation for the physical and psychological harm caused to her. Judge Otakar Pochmon said the surgery performed on the mother of two, who has since then unsuccessfully attempted artificial insemination four times, was irreversible. The illegal violation was committed in July 1997 at the Ostrava City Hospital.

The hospital claims it has the patient's written consent on file and is considering appealing to the High Court in Olomouc. "The management of City Hospital is aware of today's verdict. We believe it necessary to wait for the written verdict, and then we will consider the option of an appeal," the spokesperson for the health care facility, Marie Dlabalová, told ČTK.

Dlabalová also said the sterilization of women at Ostrava City Hospital had already been investigated by a Czech Health Ministry commission and the ombudsman. "So far criminal investigations were initiated in five cases, all of which were shelved, since no crime was found to have been committed," she said.

Read more: http://romea.cz/english/index.php?id=detail&detail=2007_561

[dbt]

1. K & R before somebody finds

some flimsy-ass EXCUSE to move this off the Front Page!

:evilgrin:

PS: Start Wearing Purple for me now...

[NYC]

2. The article doesn't say why this was done.

Here's the excuse for it:

...doctors and hospital representatives are giving the same arguments in all of the cases. "They defend themselves by claiming that a third birth by Caesarian section would pose a significant danger to the mother and that they are acting in her best interests," she said.

[Capn Sunshine]

3. how does the Gypsy ( Romani) angle play into this?

:shrug: