Frozen embryo fight

Tyler Durden

Scotsman.com News - Final tearful plea as embryo fight fails

This is horrid little story really that really mixes me up as regard to what side I come down on.

Basically this couple dated for a few years (from 1999 to 2002). In 2001, the women had a small amount of cancerous ovarian cells found and took the precaution of asking her partner at the time to donate his "guys" toward her frozen embryos so that, if she was later found to need more serious treatment, she would still have the possibility of becoming a mother.

However, in 2002 when she had to undergo treatment that meant she could not naturally conceive (and after the two had split up), her ex partner withdrew his permission for her to use the embryos. She has now fought for over four years to overturn this decision, but has now been refused by the highest court in Europe and there is no nowhere else for her to go. The embryos will now be destroyed.

Her arguement all along was that when he decided to do this in 2001, her partner was in effect agreeing to become a parent. It should be said that she has said all along she would have no need for him to play a part in the childs life if he didn't choose to and that she would not be seeking paternity payments or anything else from him.

Like I say I am torn here. My heart wants her to have the opportunity that could be given her. However, I guess he has rights too here (heartless as they may seem).

It should also be noted that whilst she claims he would be kept out of the childs future and payments, there is nothing legally that she or he could sign that would result in the father not having to make maintenance payments if the government insisted, and no way that the child could not find out who it's biological father is in the future (hence the low number of sperm donations being done now in comparison to the past).

Where's your heart/head lay here?