France baby-swap families awarded nearly €2 million in damages
Families of two French women accidentally switched at birth 20 years ago, were awarded nearly €2million in damages
The clinic involved in the mix up has been ordered has been ordered to compensate both women and their parents and siblings.
The case goes back to 1994, when the two babies were treated in the same incubator for jaundice, and were late given to the wrong parent by auxiliary nurses.
Both mothers had expressed doubts over the babies because of the different skin tone and hair length, but they had been sent home by the clinic either way.
The error had been discovered ten years ago, but neither family wanted to switch the girls back.
One of the parents spoke about still retaining doubts after ten years, when the daughter took a DNA test that confirmed the mother’s doubts.
Following an investigation, the two families made contact with each other and eventually took the case to court, but there was never any question of reversing the swap, and the two families have since distanced themselves from each other.
On Tuesday, the court in Grasse, ordered the clinic to give €400,000 to each of the girls, €300,000 to the parents and €60,000 to each of the three siblings.
The figure was reportedly six times less than what the families had called for, but one of the lawyers said that they would not appeal and that they were relieved that the clinic had been judged responsible.
