The European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) has issued a third verdict in favour of Roma woman who sued Slovakia for forced sterilisation. The court also granted the plaintiffs compensation of €28,500 and €27,000, as well as court fees, the SITA newswire reported.
Three Roma women submitted a complaint to the ECHR back in 2004, claiming they were forcibly sterilised at the hospital in Krompachy.
“I am pleased that the European Court confirmed [our claims] and admitted that they sterilised us without our consent,” said one of the women, identified as I.G., as quoted by SITA. “In my name, and the name of other Roma women, I thank the European court.”
She added that on the other hand she regrets the fact that nobody in Slovakia trusted the women and that their version of the events had to be confirmed by the ECHR.
“The court again confirmed in its ruling that the sterilisation without informed consent is an interference in the basic human rights of a woman guaranteed by the European treaty as well as other international laws which Slovakia obliges,” said the women’s lawyer, Vanda Durbáková, as quoted by SITA, adding that the Slovak government should act and accept responsibility for these “illegal practices”.
The ECHR has already passed two rulings which confirmed that forced sterilisation of Roma women had taken place in Slovakia. The first was passed in November 2011, the second in July 2012. The women were granted compensation of €31,000 and €30,000 respectively.
Source: SITA
For more information about this story please see: ECHR rules on another forced sterilisation in Slovakia
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
