3.2 Extreme measures
In a democratic society, for the state to forcibly and permanently take away a person’s capacity to reproduce is by any measure an extreme act, and potentially an intrusion on their freedom and human rights. These are complex matters, and are most usually only addressed through the courts.
In the next activity you consider two cases of forced sterilisation.
Activity 7 Forced sterilisation
Timing: Allow about 20 minutes
Read the two short newspaper articles from the Guardian below about forced sterilisation.
- Judge authorises sterilisation of mother-of-six with learning disabilities [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
- Man with learning difficulties to be sterilised in unprecedented court ruling
Do you think that forced sterilisation is ever acceptable, even when attempts to manage the situation through support and supervision have failed?