Today the Washington Protection & Advocacy Program released its report on the removal of the breast buds and uterus of a disabled six-year old girl at the request of her parents. Failure to get advance court approval for these procedures violated the girl’s constitutional rights:
Due to the highly invasive and irreversible nature of the”Ashley Treatment,”growth-limiting interventions for individuals with developmental disabilities from a court of competent jurisdiction should be required in order to protect the privacy and liberty interests of children for whom such interventions are sought.
The report further notes that “getting court approval for this incredibly invasive procedures … would likely be quite difficult.”
The full report from the Washington Protection & Advocacy Program is available here. CNN carried the story here.
-Bridget Crawford
