Litigious mother of twins draws fire in Australia

Sep 20, 2007, 10:52 GMT

Sydney - An Australian woman suing the head of a Canberra infertility clinic for financial compensation because she had twins rather than just one baby was censured Thursday in the press and in parliament.

'The litigation involving twins already 3 years old undermines the importance of parenthood,' upper house member of parliament Guy Barnett said. 'We seem more intent on preserving and pandering to the wishes of adults than we are in protecting the rights of children.'

Barnett wants same-sex couples and single women to be denied access to government-funded infertility clinics.

The plaintiff, part of a lesbian couple, told the court she considered giving up one of the girls for adoption because caring for both was a burden.

In the first case of its kind in Australia, the birth mother is suing Robert Armellin for implanting two embryos during an in vitro fertilization procedure when she had said she only wanted one.

The court was told a consent form allowing one or two embryos to be implanted was signed and that it was only at the last moment that the woman asked that just one be implanted. She claimed staff disregarded her express request and wants 400,000 Australian dollars (328,000 US dollars) from the clinic in compensation.

The press and talkback radio have been bombarded with letters and calls damning the birth mother as heartless and mercenary and her case as an example as the commoditization of children.

The parents, whom the court ruled must remain nameless, hit back at their critics.

'This has never been a case about whether our children are loved,' they said in a statement.

They argued in court that having twins had led to a deterioration in their sexual relationship that put one of them in counselling.