News & Announcement – 25 March 2011: Dr. Ágnes Geréb, internationally respected Hungarian midwife, sentenced to two years in prison

25 March 2011

On 24th March, The Budapest Court of Justice concluded its judgment on four birth cases before it involving Dr Agnes Geréb and four other midwives.  It found Dr. Gereb guilty of endangering life in the pursuit of her professional duties and sentenced her to two years imprisonment. She was also debarred from practicing as a midwife or obstetrician for 5 years. Three of the midwives were acquitted while the fourth was fined. Dr. Geréb will appeal the judgment and there will be a stay on her prison sentence pending the outcome of this appeal. Currently, Dr. Geréb remains under severe house arrest conditions (since December 21st, 2010) in connection with separate birth cases while the State Prosecution Service continue to gather evidence in these matters.

The court’s decision confirmed the double standards that apply when dealing with birth difficulties arising in hospital versus out of hospital situations. In Hungary, the many annual hospital deaths that occur never appear in a criminal court while nearly all midwives contested birth actions are automatically brought into the criminal jurisdiction.  Many highly respected international experts submitted written expert opinions attesting that the Hungarian midwives had not committed any errors at the births, but unfortunately they were not allowed to present their evidence before the judge. Instead, the Hungarian court relied on independent experts called by the court having no experience with out of institution births therefore they all attested according to hospital protocols. The Court failed to recognize that homebirths strive to avoid the use of unnecessary interventions and the judge evaluated the midwives actions by reference to hospital protocols when coming to his conclusions.  Despite the imminent introduction of first-time homebirth regulations no professional midwifery body will exist who could evaluate the birth actions of midwives as is the case in nearly all other developed countries.

Hungarian and international supporters of Dr. Geréb and of the natural birth process will now set out, through the various channels available to them, to voice their objection and condemnation of the judgment handed down in this case.  It is one that confirms the continued criminalization of homebirth in Hungary affecting the midwives who provide the medical care and the hundred of parents who yearly chose this option.

For further information please contact

Gabriella Nagy +36-30-572-2506

Or Donal Kerry +36-30-924-2190

e-mail: free@birth.hu