On 18 April, a Swedish court ruled against a midwife in a dispute over her refusal to carry out abortions.
Ellinor Grimmark argued that her Christian beliefs made it impossible for her to carry out abortions and that it was unfair to be turned down for jobs in Joenkoeping because of that. But the labour court ruled that she had not suffered discrimination. It said the authorities had not violated her ‘freedom of opinion and expression’.
US Christians had backed Ms Grimmark. The US Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is a partner of her legal team, Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers.
Legal bill
The labour court ruling on Wednesday defended Joenkoeping region’s right to require midwives to carry out abortions.
In 2015 a district court rejected Ms Grimmark's discrimination complaint. But she then decided to sue the regional health authority. She faces a legal bill of £136,000.
Ms Grimmark says she will take her case to the European Court of Human Rights. It cannot overrule Sweden’s courts, but if it finds a violation it can order a compensation payment. Sweden’s Health Professionals – an association of midwives and other medics – welcomed the court decision. Its vice-president Ann Johansson said ‘people seeking care should not have to think about your own opinions’. According to UN data, Sweden has one of the highest abortion rates in Europe.
