A mentally-impaired U.K. woman may be forcibly sterilized in what health and social workers are saying is an extreme but necessary solution to save her life.
The unidentified woman already has six children but existing gynecological problems could put her life in danger if she becomes pregnant again, health and social service officials said, according to The Independent.
Health officials say she lacks the mental capacity to understand her medical situation. Because of that, they asked a judge in London last week to allow her to be sterilized- which could involve her being restrained, forcibly removed from her home and placed in a hospital.
"The relief sought involves significant interference with (the woman's) basic human rights," said John McKendrick, a lawyer representing a health agency and hospital seeking the court order. "Such interferences are however lawful, and necessary and proportionate given the complex and tragic social and medical background."
When she had her sixth child last year, doctors had to restrain and sedate her to perform a C-section in order to safely deliver the baby. She does not have custody of any of her children, The Independent reported.
Authorities said they tried convincing the woman, who is in her 30s, to use contraception and cooperate with medical officials but she said she wanted to be "left alone."
Even her lawyer Michael Horne agreed with the "therapeutic" sterilization option officials said is in her best interests, The Independent reported.
"The issues raised in this case have nothing whatsoever to do with eugenics," Horne said. "The sterilization which the applicants propose is a 'therapeutic' sterilization in that it most effectively mitigates the grave risks to (the woman's) health and life that a further pregnancy would bring."
A Court of Protection judge is expected to make a ruling soon.
