Tzipporah.Benavraham@f608.n107.z1.fidonet.org (Tzipporah Benavraham) (01/11/91)
Index Number: 12828
12/19 0630 NEW ZEALAND JUDGE ORDERS HYSTERECTOMY FOR MENTALLY
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - A New Zealand high court judge on
gave the go ahead on Wednesday for surgeons to sterilise a
severely mentally handicapped teenager.
The girl, known only as "X" in the precedent-setting court
case, turned 15 on Wednesday.
Justice Peter Hillyer, after nearly two weeks of hearing
evidence, said a hysterectomy could be performed "forthwith".
The Auckland Area Health Board had refused to carry out the
operation and her parents applied to the court for consent.
The girl has a mental age of three months and the parents
wanted the hysterectomy before her first menstrual period,
saying that pain from menstruation would trigger fits of
screaming and self-injury.
The judge said it was important that the operation was
desired solely to stop menstruation, though it was also
"absolutely vital" the girl should not become pregnant.
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