Lesbians sue over twin they didn't want

Published on Friday 21 September 2007 01:46

A LESBIAN couple in Australia are suing their doctor after they had twin girls from an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure, when they wanted only one child.

The women are seeking about A$400,000 (170,000) in damages to help pay for the cost of raising the second child, including private school fees, saying they had made it clear to their doctor they wanted only one baby.

The twins are now three years old and the civil case, the first of its kind in Australia, has prompted debate about the value of children and the role of parents.

"The litigation involving twins already three years old undermines the importance of parenthood," Guy Barnett, a conservative government senator, said.

"We seem more intent on preserving and pandering to the wishes of adults than we are in protecting the rights of children."

The court has ordered a gag on the identity of the women, who used donor sperm from a Danish doctor for the successful IVF treatment.

The court has heard they signed a consent form to allow two embryos to be implanted but specifically told the specialist they wanted only one embryo implanted.

The court was told the birth of the twins had created considerable stress within the couple's relationship, but lawyers for the doctor said almost every couple who had a child faced similar strain.