Sydney - An Australian woman suing the head of a Canberra
infertility clinic for financial compensation because she had twins
rather than just one baby was censured Thursday in the press and in
parliament.
'The litigation involving twins already 3 years old undermines the
importance of parenthood,' upper house member of parliament Guy
Barnett said. 'We seem more intent on preserving and pandering to the
wishes of adults than we are in protecting the rights of children.'
Barnett wants same-sex couples and single women to be denied
access to government-funded infertility clinics.
The plaintiff, part of a lesbian couple, told the court she
considered giving up one of the girls for adoption because caring for
both was a burden.
In the first case of its kind in Australia, the birth mother is
suing Robert Armellin for implanting two embryos during an in vitro
fertilization procedure when she had said she only wanted one.
The court was told a consent form allowing one or two embryos to
be implanted was signed and that it was only at the last moment that
the woman asked that just one be implanted. She claimed staff
disregarded her express request and wants 400,000 Australian dollars
(328,000 US dollars) from the clinic in compensation.
The press and talkback radio have been bombarded with letters and
calls damning the birth mother as heartless and mercenary and her
case as an example as the commoditization of children.
The parents, whom the court ruled must remain nameless, hit back
at their critics.
'This has never been a case about whether our children are loved,'
they said in a statement.
They argued in court that having twins had led to a deterioration
in their sexual relationship that put one of them in counselling.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
USA
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