A decision by an Australian court to permit the sterilization of an 11-year-old girl with severe disabilities is drawing heated debate.

The parents of the girl known as Angela say their daughter functions at the level of a 3-month-old baby. She cannot talk, is not toilet trained and relies on others to feed her. What’s more, Angela’s parents say her menstrual cycle is causing epileptic seizures.

Under the recommendation of doctors, the parents petitioned Australia’s family court to allow an irreversible hysterectomy to be performed on the girl. And in a rare decision, the court approved the parents’ request, saying that the procedure would yield Angela a better quality of life.

The move quickly drew barbs from disability rights activists who say the procedure is a violation of the girl’s human rights and is merely “a quick fix” for desperate parents struggling in a system where supports for caregivers are limited, reports the Brisbane (Australia) Times. To read more click here.

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