Liberate Grace: A Case of Human Rights Violation in Ireland

GALWAY, Ireland - Aug. 30, 2023 - PRLog -- Grace's story is a shocking example of how some people working for State can abuse its power and authority over the lives and bodies of its citizens. The forced sterilization of Grace was not only a gross violation of her reproductive rights, but also of her right to privacy, autonomy, health, information, and consent. It was an act of violence and discrimination that deprived her of her choice and voice, and inflicted irreparable harm on her well-being.

The coercively sterilization of Grace was not an isolated incident, but a reflection of a systemic problem in the Irish health system and society. According to Irish Press, there are hundreds, if not thousands of women, who have been recently subjected to similar abuses by the HSE.

Grace is currently residing in a nursing home, which receives payment from the HSE for providing her with care. In theory, Grace could live independently with just some financial support from the HSE, but this would not provide any important funding to the nursing home industry. This situation raises concerns about the potential exploitation of vulnerable individuals, such as women with disabilities, for profit. This is reminiscent of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland, which were supposed to rehabilitate women but instead confined and abused them for financial gain. These institutions were in operation until just two decades ago.

From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 until 1996, at least 10,000 girls and women were imprisoned, with the use of the national police force named Garda Síochána, forced to carry out unpaid labour and subjected to severe psychological and physical maltreatment in Ireland's Magdalene Institutions. These were carceral, punitive institutions that ran commercial and for-profit businesses.

In 2017, the Irish government was criticized by the United Nations for not implementing its recommendations to investigate allegations of ill-treatment of women in Magdalene Laundries. The UN Committee against torture also expressed its disapproval of the government's failure to prosecute perpetrators and ensure that victims have an enforceable right to compensation.

Liberate Grace's mission is to eliminate all forms of discrimination suffered by Grace and ensure her enjoyment of the rights and freedoms recognized in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (CFREU). Liberate Grace also aims to refer any responsible persons to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU-CVRIA) violations relating to the ECHR and the CFREU.

Website: https://www.liberategrace.com