This procedure is a lot more brutal than episiotomy. The long lasting side effects are more debilitating and most importantly the medical decision to preform this was influenced by more than medical knowledge and women were not asked for permission. Quite often no one explained before, during or after, what had been done

Hey Joan a symphysiotomy is a surgical procedure which is carried out to permanently widen the pelvis of a woman who might normally require repeat Caesarean sections. The cartilage of the symphysis pubis, which is the point where the pubic bones come together, is surgically divided during the procedure. An episiotomy is a cut to the perineum. Huge difference, an episiotomy is basically a cut that heals and that’s that but a symphysiotomy is permeant and life altering. For it to have been done without consent is just appalling but then again Doctors were gods then, look at all the unnecessary hysterectomies that were done.

The statistics are absolutely shocking. This was an utterly barbaric practice and survivors deserve justice for what they have been forced to ensure. Yet another example of how male doctors and legislators, highly influenced by the teaching of male clerics, failed women.

As late as 1992???? Jesus I was born by a caesarian in 1989! Why on earth would this be used instead of a caesarian in the last 20 years!

@ Claire
I wrote comments for many hours on this subject on journal.ie yesterday and I am disgusted with the wording James Reilly used. ” It was not barbaric, but he felt it was inappropriate”! Maybe he should go through the hellish life these women have gone through all their life, then give a proper opinion. Most, if not all maternity hospitals were run by the religious orders.

Most women went through hours/days of labour because caesarian sections were not allowed. This awful operation was done to these mothers without asking permission, and was done mainly for ‘religious reasons’. Sickening.

I hope they have better luck with their inquiry and people are made accountable – not like the many other inquiries in the past that have found themselves collecting dust in the Dail basement. The copy of one Report/inquiry, which is mine, has not dust on it. It was the Leas Inquiry. God bless and I will you all well.

Once again we have the spectre of Irish women being abused by medical ‘professionals’ who, instead of looking after the welfare of their patients were following the dogma of their cult and putting their church before their patients. Despite what Minister Reilly said today, it IS barbaric what these nazi style doctors did to the unfortunate women whose lives the destroyed. Why these operations were still being done into the late 90′s beggars belief and the culprits, be they medical, religious or political need to be hauled before a Dail committee and made to answer for it. It’s like something out of a horror movie, a sinister Dr Mengele style clique who take over the states hospitals and are then allowed to inflict their own dogma based ethics and practices on unsuspecting women not caring what the outcome is to the patient as long as they get to follow their own set of beliefs.The maternity hospitals where these operations took place have questions to answer and Dr. Reilly needs to stop his foot dragging and get on with finding the answers. Today in the UN, Irelands human rights record was under the microscope and when you read about this horrific abuse you have to conclude that in Ireland, under the malign influence of the catholic church major abuses were allowed to take place and these abuses were sanctioned by the state and the politicians who were in charge at the time, no coincedence that they took place in religious run hospitals, schools, orphanages or the infamous gulags of the Magdalene laundries. The damage that’s been done to Irish women, children and many disabled people in deference to catholic church ideology and dogma is shocking and all with the collusion of a deferential Irish state. It is unforgivable and should not be allowed to go unpunished. It’s time someone was held accountable for these crimes against women wether they be dead or alive the people who allowed this to happen need to be identified and brought to justice for their crimes and for those who are dead and gone then history should be updated to record their part in it. The Ulster unionists were right all along, Home Rule really did turn into Rome Rule and we are now seeing what happens when you allow a sinister cult to run your health, education and social policy. I hope these women take the catholic church, the hospitals involved and the Irish state to the European Court of Human Rights because if it is left to politicians in Ireland then it will be swept under the carpet like all the other abuse cases that the Irish state and it’s religious masters stand accused of and as usual nobody will ever be held to account.

Their really is no limit to the damage that these cultish predators can inflict.

How anyone, but especially a woman, can have anything to do with the zombie religion beggers belief. I would say this is shocking, but it isn’t. Religion trumps decency every time.

Joan , I only posted the def of both things to show just how different they are. I wasn’t I implying that you thought it was in anyway right.

That’s exactly what I mean, I had numerous operations as a child, a couple were unnecessary, and at that time (@45 years) nobody, regardless of what operation was being preformed were treated like they are today…it was yes doctor, no doctor.. That was not right, but the general populace was not really up to speed with medicine, there was no Internet in those days, and you just trusted them, in fairness they were in the dark also to a large extent. That don’t make and of this right, but it was very different times!

I have found a petition that does need signing especially with in the next 2 weeks before the SoS group have any chance of justice : http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-survivors-of-symphysiotomy/sign.html
Share this with friends to get the number can be submitted to the Government.

I sympathise with these people, but can I most respectfully ask, is the latter day episiotomy not a little similar and can also lead to incontinent problems etc…I personally know of people myself actually, who had unnecessary operations due to medical ‘ignorance’ at the time????

This practice is barbaric, and in a modern setting without medical indicators it is just wrong.

But it has NOTHING to do with religion. I am still waiting for anyone to tell me precisely what aspect of Catholic teaching necessitated the practice. The simple fact is that we are dealing with a clique of rather arrogant doctors who may have developed a bizarre interpretation of Catholic teaching. But it was THEIR interpretation, NOT actual Catholic teaching. How could that happen you ask? Well, just look at how poorly informed most people are on what the Church teaches today, when access to information was more widely available.

It seems to me that much of this relates to the arrogance and power of the medical profession at that time.

I get the fact that people round here do not like the Church. I get the fact that this is a reaction to the very real over reach and abuse of the past. But we simply cannot blame the Church for every bad thing that happened in the past.

I repeat – this practice has NOTHING to do with Catholicism.