One mother threatened with ‘cutting and stitching’ unless she paid a bribe; formal criminal complaints filed against doctors, nurses and midwives in Zenica
Fifty-two women have filed formal criminal complaints against doctors, nurses and midwives at a Bosnian hospital for physical abuse and demanding bribes from them in the very midst of childbirth. The filing with prosecutors is the largest action ever taken to expose, stop and punish the widespread violence and corruption that occur daily in Bosnian maternity wards.
Medical staff at the public Zenica Cantonal Hospital now stand formally accused of corruption, extortion, malpractice, abuse of their official position and other crimes. The complaints were filed with prosecutors in Zenica-Doboj Canton on 21 September by Association Baby Steps, a Sarajevo-based NGO that supports women and investigates crimes in maternity wards.
“These atrocities stain the face and honor of the medical profession and must be prosecuted. These doctors should not be permitted to be a part of the glorious moment of the birth of a new life. They must be held responsible and punished for their cruelty,” said Baby Steps President Amila Tatarević.
The criminal complaints are the culmination of Baby Steps’ year-long effort to collect video and written testimony from new mothers victimized during childbirth. What is crucial, Tatarević said, is that the complaints include the names of doctors, nurses and midwives who perpretated the crimes. Prosecutors now have all the information they need to file criminal charges.
“These brave birth mothers decided they had to do something to stop the abuse. They stood in front of cameras to tell their experiences, and to silence those who deny the problems in maternity hospitals,” Tatarević said. “These criminal acts happen every day, Now, we have singled out their names. You can see a pattern of abuse by two or three doctors. We are closing in on them, and justice is coming.”
The evidence includes first-hand accounts of dozens of women who were left screaming in agony in the midst of childbirth by doctors who refused to treat them unless they paid a bribe. One women said the doctor unnecessarily induced labor to create an artificial emergency for the sole purpose of demanding a bribe. Some women said they were abused and mistreated despite having paid a bribe.
Victimized women tell their stories in a video by Baby Steps (with English subtitles):
“I was told to give the labor and delivery nurse €25-50, so I would avoid the so-called cutting and stitching.”
“The nurse said to me openly, ‘If you want to give me money, you can do it now while we’re alone.’ ”
“Believe when I say that I was contemplating throwing myself from the window because I had no one to complain to.”
“This abuse strains the limits of what realistically can be considered human behavior. Anyone who could stop this cruelty, but is choosing not to, is complicit,” said Mark Worth of Whistleblowing International and the Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection.
Corruption and abuse in maternity wards is an open secret in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been condoned by hospitals and ignored by public officials for decades. Half of women interviewed by Baby Steps said they gave money or a gift before or after childbirth. One-third of women said this happened in secret, allowing doctors and nurses to deny the corruption occurred. The average bribe is €70, which amounts to an estimated €1 million per year nationwide.
Baby Steps’ report detailing the corruption and mistreatment – “Borba protiv korupcije u porodilištima” – is available at: http://www.babysteps.ba/borba-protiv-korupcije-u-porodilistima/
For more information, contact: Amila Tatarević Association Baby Steps (+387) 6150 2076 (Sarajevo) info@babysteps.ba Mark Worth Whistleblowing International Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection (+31) 6 1353 4192 (The Hague) mworth@whistleblower-rights.org
