Scope statement on 'Ashley X'

Over the last 24 hours the media has been saturated with the story of 'Ashley X', the young disabled girl in America who has been given drugs and surgery to limit her growth, halt puberty and effectively stop her body from aging beyond that of a 9-year-old girl.

Our opinion on the case is as follows:

"Firstly we have to say that we don't know the parents or the disabled child in this case. But we do know that all parents of disabled children have to make difficult choices as they try to provide the best possible life chances for their child. These are never easy decisions to make.

However, the choice that these parents have made for Ashley cannot be sanctioned. Not only is it an abuse of this young woman's human rights it has much wider consequences for other disabled people in the US and further a field. It sends a message that it is OK to do what you like to a disabled person for the convenience of those who are 'caring' for them.

Ashley and her parents should have been given the right support - financial and practical - so that she could live her life to the maximum of her potential. It is awful that this support was so lacking that her parents felt the need to make such a choice for their daughter and carry out this medical intervention."