SASKATOON — A proposed class action lawsuit against Canada’s attorney general, the Saskatchewan government, the province’s health regions and doctors who allegedly coerced Indigenous women to undergo sterilization has been filed in Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench. The statement of claim was filed about three months after the Saskatoon Health Region released the findings of a six-month external review into Indigenous women who had tubal ligation. Two women are currently listed as plaintiffs but more women in Saskatchewan could be included if the lawsuit is approved. The report suggested some Indigenous women from Saskatoon and the surrounding area were coerced into having their Fallopian tubes clamped or severed after giving birth in hospital. In response to the findings, the Saskatoon Health Region said it deeply regrets what happened, acknowledging it failed to treat the women with the respect, compassion and support they deserve.

Source: National Post October 11, 2017 17:37 UTC