Not cool.

LONDON (AP) – A British judge ruled Tuesday that more evidence is needed before deciding whether to grant a mother’s wish to have her mentally disabled daughter sterilized — a case that is troubling medical ethicists.

The 21-year-old woman, who has a significant learning disability and has been identified only as P, already has one child who is being cared for by her mother, Mrs. P. The woman is scheduled to give birth via cesarean section on Wednesday and her mother had proposed that doctors could sterilize her daughter at the same time.

The case is now scheduled to be heard in April after the court requested more expert evidence.

Here’s some more evidence that should be presented – via Suzanne at Big Blue Wave:

if she lacks the ability to consent to a sterilization, how is it that she has the ability to consent to sex? Who’s sleeping with her? Why isn’t she sufficiently supervised on this matter?

Honestly, that is what they should be focusing on if they’re really worried about this woman’s well being, as they should be.

Perhaps most disturbing is this information from an earlier article on this case:

Most Court of Protection cases are heard behind closed doors at its north London offices.

The court has the power to make life or death decisions on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Court has the power to decide on medical treatments for individuals judged by psychiatrists to lack mental capacity.

Cases that come before the court include proposals to withhold or withdraw artificial nutrition and hydration from a person in a permanent vegetative state.

The court can also order “terminations of pregnancy” for women who lack capacity to consent, as well as “experimental or innovative treatment” and medical procedures that require the use of force to restrain the patient.

Scary. How often does this kind of stuff happen over there!?!

Eugenics Rising? I’m beginning to wonder if it ever really went away…