On July 30 news broke out of Québec City that Judge Paul Vezina ordered a 37-year-old psychiatric patient to undergo an abortion and sterilization against her will.
For pro-lifers this sad story should come as no surprise, given the pathetic state of morality that is permeating Canada’s mental health system. Nurses and psychiatrists working in Canada’s various institutions frequently hand out condoms to mentally ill patients and encourage them to copulate “safely” with each other. The bureaucrats that dreamed up these policies may be a little ill themselves as they never seem to consider the fact that delusional and schizophrenic patients have difficulty understanding and complying with any directions. Believing that promiscuous mentally ill patients will consistently and properly use condoms is indeed delusional.
To find out about the legality of forced abortions for apparently eugenic purposes The Interim interviewed Brantford lawyer Paul Vandervet. Mr. Vandervet said, “presumably the patient had a public guardian who believed the forced abortion was in her best interests, and a Québec Superior Court judge ruled in favour of it.” Mr Vandervet argued that “regardless of the legality, the forced abortion and sterilization is shocking in light of the compensation that the Alberta government had to pay for their forced sterilizations in the 1930s. Perhaps 15 years from now we will see our mistake in this case and we will have to apologize and pay compensation again.”
The Interim also contacted Ottawa pro-life physician André Lafrance to find out if the doctor who killed the woman’s baby against her will may have breached any ethical standards that govern the medical profession. Dr. Lafrance said, “unfortunately the Canadian Medical Association will almost always rule in favour of abortion. The physician had the backing of the court, the CMA won’t take any action in this type of situation.”
When asked if the forced abortion and sterilization is really in the best interests of a mentally ill patient, he lamented, “abortion is currently being touted as the cure-all for marginalized pregnant women. Unfortunately the long-term evidence seems to point to even greater psychological damage for the (mentally ill) woman who undergoes the abortion.”
Bev Hadland, director of Straight Talk, an abortion recovery counselling service, agreed. “If a woman is forced to undergo an abortion she will feel very upset and angry. There is no doubt that her pre-existing mental condition may actually deteriorate after the abortion.”
