Vienna - An unborn Austrian boy with an incompletely-formed
spinal cord, has initiated legal action against the state in order to
confirm the dignity of his life, Austrian media reported Friday.
The suit is in the name of Emil, who is expected to be born next
week with spina bifida or split spine, a developmental defect that
leads to an open spinal tube.
Emil's parents Sabine and Andreas Karg are seeking to overturn a
Supreme Court ruling from March, which awarded damages to a mother
whose child was born with spina bifida after doctors failed to detect
the abnormality before birth.
'We just wanted to draw attention to the fact that a child cannot
be a damage,' Andreas Karg said at a press conference recently.
The couple from Lochau in western Austria said they initiated the
lawsuit against the Austrian state for infringement of Emil's honour
and dignity.
The Kargs stressed that they are not suing the state to stop the
abortion of disabled babies. But, they would like parents whose
unborn babies are diagnosed with similar conditions to seek
counselling and think carefully before taking any action.
Mrs. MillsAug 3rd, 2008 - 21:42:39
I congratulate those parents for challenging the state and their disregard for their son's dignity. My son, Theodore, was born last September with spina bifida. He is a blessing.
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