# Forced Sterilization **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482 "2003-02-07T15:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/1 "2003-02-07T15:57:34Z")
Following on from **Daoloth’s** Pit thread about the Slovakian government putting 400,000 ethnic Roma into ghettos, [This is barbarism,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=154095) there is more news about the treatment of Romani people in that country. Now, I’m sure most of you know that ‘Gypsies’ were sterilized in Nazi Germany. Some of you may know that other countries also did this and that it didn’t stop until quite recently. Sweden carried out forced sterilizations on Romani women (amongst others) until the early 1970’s, Slovakia was doing it until the late 1980’s / early 1990’s. Or so it was thought. Turns out that Slovakia is doing it again, as detailed in a report called _Body and Soul - Forced Sterilization and other assaults on Roma Reproductive Freedom in Slovakia_, which can be found [here.](http://www.reproductiverights.org/pub_bo_slovakia.html) From the press release about this report: > [@](#): > > The investigative report documents grave human rights violations against Romani women in Slovakia, including about 110 cases where women were forcibly or coercively sterilized, or have strong indications that they have been sterilized.\_ The report also documents extensive racism and verbal and physical abuse towards Romani women in public hospitals, including the denial of patient access to their own medical records and segregation in patients’ rooms, maternity wards, restrooms and dining facilities. > > Agata, 28, from Svinia Talks about being Coercively Sterilized > “Doctors came and brought me to the operating room [for a C-section] and there they gave me anesthesia.\_ When I was falling asleep, a nurse came and took my hand in hers and with it she signed something.\_ I do not know what it was.\_ I could not check because I cannot read, I only know how to sign my name.\_ When I left the hospital, I was only told that I would not have any more children.I was so healthy before, but now I have pain all the time.\_ Lots of infections.” and: > [@](#): > > Alexandra from Richnava Talks about Racial Segregation in Slovakia’s Public Hospitals “In Krompachy hospital, there are separate rooms for Roma-there are three Gypsy rooms, one shower and one toilet for us while white women have their own toilets.\_ White women can go to the dining room but Roma cannot eat there.\_ In Gypsy room, there is not > even a dust bin.\_ It is like in a concentration camp there.” I’m unable to rant about this, for a few reasons: [ul] [li]At the moment, I’m too sad to be enraged.[/li][li]Nothing done to us suprises me anymore. Oh sure, I was taken aback when I read recently that, in Norway, the hunting of ‘Gypsies’ lasted until the 1920’s - But that was only because I thought it had stopped in the 19th century. Apart from that, it’s pretty much ‘same old, same old’ as far as I’m concerned: Kill us, hunt us, beat us, enslave us, steal our children (that stereotype has always been more ironic than offensive), force us from our homes, sterilize us - it’s all been done before.[/li][li]If I do start to rant, I really don’t think I’ll ever stop. Then I’d start hate. That’s not a good thing.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/2 "2003-02-07T16:05:32Z")
Holy fucking shit. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/3 "2003-02-07T16:13:09Z")
One more example of the ‘self’ and ‘other’ complex. If a group perceives another group as ‘other’ than anything goes… ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/4 "2003-02-07T17:17:12Z")
Fucking hell. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/5 "2003-02-07T17:38:28Z")
I’m speechless. Words can’t express how truly fucking sick that is. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/6 "2003-02-07T17:43:28Z")
You know in this day that if this were happening to any other group of people, there would be more of an outcry in the media. Why not for Roma? I wonder if it is because Roma have never had their own nation. I know that in America they are not officially considered to be a minority group, and some Americans have no idea that they are indeed a ethnic group. Some will refer to gypsies and have no idea what it really means. This is horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/7 "2003-02-07T18:42:34Z")
Just… sick. I don’t have the words to say more. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/8 "2003-02-07T19:14:24Z")
I am ashamed to have Slovak heritage, right now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/9 "2003-02-07T19:14:59Z")
☹ ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/10 "2003-02-07T20:11:13Z")
The saddest part of being naive to world affairs is that you get your heart broken far more often than the cynics. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/11 "2003-02-07T20:48:14Z")
yuck. this is so terrible. and slovakia thinks it’s ready to join the EU, hell it’s not ready to come out of the dark ages. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/12 "2003-02-07T22:24:06Z")
Oh terrific. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/13 "2003-02-07T22:52:54Z")
Ye bloody Gods!!! Even though you’d think I’d know better by now, I’m still amazed that some groups of individuals have the temerity to tell other groups of individuals they shouldn’t have the right to exist. I don’t believe in violence; I don’t believe in cruelty. I do believe in taking steps to prevent violence and cruelty, and right now taking a trip Slovakia with a good-sized baseball bat sounds like a good idea. I’ll wise up later. **Kal** , old friend, I _am_ sorry. CJ ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/14 "2003-02-08T01:38:38Z")
This is disgusting. I think that those responsible need remindind on the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: [QUOTE] Article 2 In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; © Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; **(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;** (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. [QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/15 "2003-02-08T01:40:51Z")
(and exactly what happens to those who are found guilty) ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/16 "2003-02-08T03:27:50Z")
Wh - how - I… ah - _God._ I just keep on thinking; I go through my day in my civilized little world and I have faith in people. And then something like this just shatters everything. How can human beings act this way? How can people justify this to themselves in this day and age? No, wait, I don’t want to know. I don’t want to know how the minds of people like that work. The corruption is just… hideous. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/17 "2003-02-08T08:17:51Z")
Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/18 "2003-02-08T18:36:05Z")
I would like to write a strongly worded email to the Slovakian government - will try to get details and post them here in a day or so, if anyone would care to join me. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/19 "2003-02-08T19:33:21Z")
I’d be honoured to join you, **jjimm**. Thank you for doing that. One bit of good news is that the EU are concerned about this. From [here:](http://www.slovakspectator.sk/clanok.asp?vyd=2003004&rub=spect_news&cl=11735) > [@](#): > > The European Parliament’s (EP) special envoy to Slovakia, Jan Marinus Wiersma, said January 28 that if Slovakia failed to properly investigate the cases, it could have negative consequences for the country at the EP session in March, when Slovakia’s entry into the EU will be discussed. > > “The content of the report was very disturbing and shocking. If these [forced sterilisation] practices are taking place, they need to be stopped immediately,” Wiersma said. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482/20 "2003-02-08T21:19:43Z")
That’s just foul. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forced-sterilization/153482.md?page=2)