UN chief ‘losing sleep’ over issue of symphysiotomy

The practice of breaking a woman’s pelvis during childbirth and preventing it from healing could well be considered a crime, the chair of the UN Human Rights committee has said.

About 1,500 women were subjected to the procedure — symphysiotomy — on the grounds it would increase the probability of them having more children when compared to a caesarian section, while some had their bones broken just after a section.

Revelations in a report about the practice shocked the leading expert in human rights and former UN special reporter on torture, Nigel Rodley, who said it was keeping him awake at night since hearing of it.