August 02, 2005
More than 350 stillborn babies and foetuses in Paris hospital
A preliminary judicial investigation has been launched into the discovery at Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Hospital, the health ministry said in a statement. French authorities discovered the remains of more than 350 stillborn babies and foetuses kept illegally in a Paris hospital morgue, some for two decades, the health minister said Tuesday.A preliminary judicial investigation has been launched into the discovery at Saint-Vincent-de-Paul Hospital, the health ministry said in a statement.
The director of the Paris hospital system said 351 bodies had been found in the morgue.
Some of the babies had died as far back as in 1985, he said.
More here, in French.
Posted by Carine at August 2, 2005 07:07 PMNothing compares to socialized medicine.
Posted by: Jay at August 3, 2005 11:10 AMYou're right Jay. Actually stillborn children are quite nationalized: before 20 weeks, the foetus is not considered a human beeing, but namedly a "medical waste", that can be used by the hospital is it wants. After 20 weeks it's considered namely "lifeless baby".
How we [don't] care about unborn children here is something you harldy can imagine...
Posted by: ashamed-frenchman at August 3, 2005 01:48 PMI wish I could tell you that it's vastly different here, AF. While I can't imagine a hospital stockpiling fetuses for 20 years, there are no shortage of people who would have no objection to it. There's a thriving trade in fetal tissue subsidizing the abortion market here.
Posted by: Doug at August 5, 2005 09:36 PMDoug, I don't think I've been clear, my mistake. In Weaselistan, unborn babies have no legal existence -- see Damian's post about that.
What I did not make clear is that before 20 weeks old, the mother has no right upon her baby: she cannot even burry it for example, it goes straight into the trash, or in a jar...
