Agnes Gereb Sentenced to Two Years in Prison

by Daniela Drandic | Jan 9, 2018 | Basic human rights, Healthcare Professionals

Agnes Gereb, pioneering obstetrician and independent midwife, has been sentenced to two years in prison with no chance of appeal.

Trailblazers like Agnes, who dedicate their life’s work to making change that benefits mothers and babies, should be celebrated and not punished. Unfortunately, this is often not the case, and Agnes’ case is no different.

Immediately after graduating from the University of Szeged in 1977, she began working as an obstetrician-gynaecologist in a hospital practice. She was one of the first physicians in Hungary who welcomed fathers into the birthing room, a practice that was denounced by her colleagues.

Later, she began working as a home birth midwife, and before her arrest in 2010 attended over 3000 births. At the time, home birth was not regulated by the Hungarian government, and although not officially illegal, it was not legal either.

Agnes’ arrest was the result of two adverse outcomes at home births, outcomes which, had they happened in a hospital setting, would not have resulted in criminal prosecution, but would instead have been investigated by professional organisations, and dealt with through disciplinary sanctions if necessary.

Upon receiving information about the conviction, Agnes issued the following statement:

These lawsuits and criminal proceedings against me are actually about the fact that there has been an increasing societal need for home births. The right to these could not be suddenly accepted in a situation where, for decades, the bribery-based medical establishment dismissed the expert truths that were linked to my person…The solution has been to violently push me aside as the ‘black sheep’ of home-birthing, without whom the previously ‘dangerous and prosecutable’ practice can be viewed as nice and good.

Public Reactions in Hungary

Agnes Gereb is a controversial figure in Hungary; on the one hand man feel she is being persecuted because of her work to humanise maternity practices and begin offering home birth services, as is the norm in other European countries. Her experience as both an obstetrician and midwife mean that she has the unique expertise do deal with complications that can arise in childbirth. On the other hand, many groups in Hungary insist that the only acceptable place for birth is a hospital setting, attended by obstetricians who practice active management of labour and delivery.

If you would like to support Agnes Gereb, sign the petition to the President of Hungary to grant her clemency.

https://www.change.org/p/please-grant-full-clemency-to-dr-midwife-agnes-gereb