No children for mentally challenged, addicts: Rotterdam politicians

Leefbaar Rotterdam is advocating for forced contraception for women who should better not have children due to their addiction, mental illness or mental disability. 

Leefbaar councilor Ira van Winden is "coming up for the unborn child" with this plea, AD reports. "There is a lot of talk about the right to autonomy of parents and the physical integrity of women, but the welfare of children is more important to me." she said. "I want to prevent the suffering of children, such as abuse and neglect." She believes that the time is right for legislation that makes "mandatory contraception possible in extreme situations and in individual cases". She stressed that this will not include every mentally handicapped, mentally ill or addicted woman. "But if professionals think that a woman really should not have a child, then they should be able to explain that to the court."

This is not the first time that Leefbaar Rotterdam has come up with such a proposal. Former alderman Marianne van den Anker even went a step further by advocating for forced abortion. The party wants Rotterdam to play a leading role in creating this legislation, the party wrote in questions to alderman Hugo de Jonge. They want the city to hold the debate and insist that the government change the law.

Two judges and a pediatrician from Rotterdam recently called for forced contraception in NRC Handelsblad. The judges used a prostitute whose three children were taken into care as an example. According to the judges, the woman told the court that she tried to get pregnant as soon as possible as her clients got off on having sex with a pregnant woman.