Court Rules to Separate Conjoined Twins

L O N D O N, Sept. 22 -- A British court has ruled doctors may operate to separate conjoined twin girls — killing one to spare the life of the other.

Three judges of the Court of Appeal ruled unanimously in favor of the separation despite the Roman Catholic parents’ determination to leave the infants’ fate to “God’s will.”

Doctors said the girls, identified only as Jodie and Mary, would die within months if they remained together, but that Jodie could survive on her own.

The surgery means death for baby Mary, who cannot survive without her sister Jodie.

“Though Mary has a right to life, she has little right to be alive. She is alive because and only because — to put it bluntly but nonetheless accurately — she sucks the lifeblood of Jodie and her parasitic living will soon be the cause of Jodie ceasing to live,” said Justice Alan Ward summarizing the judgment.

The case, however, may not end here. The parents will be allowed to appeal to the the House of Lords. Their lawyers say that decision hasn’t been made.

The questions put to the court, “Do we save Jodie by murdering Mary?” is one of the most stark and haunting asked in a court of law.

“Ultimately this is not a court of morals but a court of law,” said Ward. “We had to choose the least detrimental alternative. The scales came down heavily in Jodie’s favor.”

The court said Mary was “designated for death.”

It has been excruciatingly difficult. One’s heart bleeds for the family,” said Ward. “50 percent of the population will agree with the decision — 50 percent will think we have gone potty.”

Jodie and Mary

Jodie and Mary (fictitious names assigned by the court to protect their identities), were born six weeks ago at Saint Mary’s hospital in Manchester.

The parents of the twins, commonly called Siamese twins, traveled to Britain from a Mediterranean country (a court ruling bans identifying the country or the parents) when it became clear the local hospital couldn’t handle the difficult birth.