Date: 7 January 2010
Source: Romea (Czech Republic)
Two women who can no longer bear children as a result of operations performed without their consent have been awarded hundreds of thousands of Czech crowns by the High Court in Prague. Some activists say dozens of women, most of them Roma, have been sterilised without their consent, but precise statistics are unknown. The League of Human Rights, which represents the patients, says medical professionals probably did not intend harm. In the case of the woman who was sterilised, they believed they were protecting her from the risk associated with carrying another child to term. For the woman whose ovaries were removed, they believed they were reducing the woman's cancer risk. However, instead of allowing the women to choose, the doctors decided on their behalf. The League informs patients of their rights through "Fair Hospital" which provides free counselling and strives for out-of-court settlements. In the past, several women suing over illegally performed sterilisations have not succeeded and it is taking a long time for Czech courts to learn to award adequate financial compensation which the League believes should be around CZK 500,000.
