Human rights groups say regret must be first step toward apology, compensation
Brno/Budapest/Ostrava/Prague/New York, 24.11.2009, 21:09, (ROMEA)

European and US-based human rights groups welcomed the Czech government’s acknowledgment yesterday of the very serious human rights violations inflicted upon Czech women, overwhelmingly of Romani origin, who have been forcibly sterilized in the country. Following a 2005 Final Statement by the Czech ombudsman which confirmed the illegality of the practice of forced sterilization, as well as six years of advocacy, awareness-raising and litigation, the groups - the Group of Women Harmed by Coercive Sterilization, Life Together, Peacework Development Fund, the European Roma Rights Centre, the League of Human Rights, and the Center for Reproductive Rights – said acknowledgment of the practice is a crucial step in the process of providing redress.

Elena Gorolová, the spokesperson of the Group of Women Harmed by Coercive Sterilization, stated: “This is a first step towards long-awaited justice, although much remains to be done. We also hope this will serve as an example to Slovakia, where the problem of coercive sterilization still has not been addressed.”

The groups congratulated the Czech government for this milestone and called on it to move quickly to establish a mechanism to provide adequate compensation to women whose reproductive capacities were destroyed without their informed consent. Rob Kushen, Managing Director of the European Roma Rights Centre, noted that “there are many hidden instances of coercive sterilization. We urge the Czech government to step up investigative actions to ensure that all women who have suffered are identified and provided redress.”

There are 20 outstanding complaints pending with the regional health authorities for investigation which the groups hope will now be addressed with priority. The groups said they look forward to working together with the Czech authorities to further the cause for redress and to safeguard the health of all women in the country.

ROMEA
ROMEA

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