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Czech Court Awards Two Women Compensation for Illegal Sterilizations
Two women who are
no longer able to bear children as a result of operations performed on them
without their permission have been awarded hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns
by the High Court in
Záhumenský
said the court has awarded CZK 200 000 to a woman from
Another
woman was awarded CZK 150 000 in compensation for the removal of her ovaries
without her consent. The High Court doubled the amount awarded by the lower
court.
The League
says medical professionals in both cases most probably did not intend the women
harm. In the case of the sterilization, they believed they were protecting the
woman from the risk associated with carrying another child to term, and in the
case of the ovary removal, they believed they were reducing the woman’s risk of
cancer. However, instead of offering the women other possible solutions and
allowing them to freely choose, the doctors decided in an authoritarian manner
on the women’s behalf. “Such an approach has nothing to do with modern
medicine. Doctors must learn to respect patients’ freedom of choice and their
rights. If they not, then they should count on patients turning to the courts,
which are slowly learning to award compensation for such harms in amounts that
are not insignificant even for large hospitals,” Zahumenský said.
The League
of Human Rights informs patients of their rights through the web pages of a
special project, “
The
In the past,
several women suing over illegally performed sterilizations have not succeeded.
Last October the
In 2007
the
In
November 2009, the government of Czech PM Jan Fischer expressed regret over
these illegal sterilizations, which have primarily concerned Romani women.
Czech Human Rights and Minorities Minister Michael Kocáb says measures are
forthcoming to prevent similar crimes. Health care facilities should be able to
ensure that women undergoing sterilization have given genuinely informed
consent. The Czech Health Ministry should include this question on the program
of its Expert Forum for the Creation of Standards of Care.
ROMEA, ČTK, translated by Gwendolyn
Albert
ROMEA
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