{"id":1924,"date":"2012-11-02T21:34:53","date_gmt":"2012-11-02T21:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.consciencelaws.org\/?p=1924"},"modified":"2018-03-09T09:54:24","modified_gmt":"2018-03-09T17:54:24","slug":"polish-law-and-conduct-of-polish-physicians-clergy-activists-and-authorities-leads-to-adverse-judgement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.consciencelaws.org\/?p=1924","title":{"rendered":"Polish law and conduct of Polish physicians, clergy, activists and authorities leads to adverse judgement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sean Murphy*<\/a><\/p>\n

The European Court of Human Rights has issued a judgement<\/a> adverse to freedom of conscience and ordered Poland to pay two complainants, a mother and daughter, a total of 61,000 Euros in damages and costs.\u00a0 Subject to the possibility that the English translation of the judgement is faulty, the use of the term “anti-choice activist” by the judges brings their impartiality into question.\u00a0 However, the facts of the case outlined in the judgement suggest that the conduct of Polish health care personnel, anti-abortion activists, clergy and state authorities effectively guaranteed an adverse outcome.<\/p>\n

A 14 year old girl, P. supported by her mother, S.,\u00a0 sought an abortion for a pregnancy alleged to have been the result of a rape.\u00a0 While she obtained the necessary prosecutor’s certificate for the procedure, mother and daughter received contradictory information from two public hospitals in Lublin.\u00a0 Further, health care personnel clearly violated principles of patient confidentiality and informed consent in an effort to dissuade the girl from having an abortion.\u00a0 These violations included clearly coercive and manipulative tactics.\u00a0 P and S experienced<\/p>\n