South African Woman Sues Hospital N93m after She Gave Birth to Down's Syndrome Baby

A South African woman is going to the country's constitutional court to claim thousands of pounds in damages after a medical centre failed to diagnose her son with Down's syndrome.

The woman, identified only as Ms H. to protect the identity of her child, is arguing her son represents a "wrongful life," as she would have aborted the foetus if she had been told by the clinic it was at a high risk of having Down's syndrome. She is seeking £368,742 (N93million) in damages on behalf of her child, who has severe Down's syndrome and needs constant care, according to court documents.


News of the South African case comes days after Richard Dawkins, a high-profile philosopher, apologised after tweeting that if a woman had a foetus with Down's syndrome she should: "Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice."

Earlier this month, there was also an uproar after Australian parents were accused of abandoning their male
baby with Down's syndrome born through a surrogate mother in Thailand.