Inter-American Court Rules Peru Responsible for Forced Sterilization Death

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) has ruled that the Peruvian state is responsible for the death of Celia Ramos, a 34-year-old mother of three who died in 1997 after undergoing a forced sterilization. The landmark ruling is the first on Peru's forced sterilization program, which operated between 1996 and 2000 and primarily targeted poor, rural, and Indigenous women.

The court found that Ramos was pressured by health personnel to undergo a tubal ligation in a makeshift facility lacking necessary equipment or medications. She suffered a severe allergic reaction during the operation and died 19 days later. The Peruvian state was held responsible for failing to investigate the incident thoroughly and for violating Ramos's rights to life, health, personal integrity, family, access to information, and equality before the law.

The court determined that Peru's National Reproductive Health and Family Planning Programme set numerical targets for sterilizations of women of childbearing age. According to the ruling, more than 314,000 women and 24,000 men were sterilized under the program, many without valid consent.

The court ordered Peru to pay reparations to Ramos's family, including reimbursement for medical expenses incurred in 1997 and compensation for lost income. The ruling also mandated that Peru issue a formal apology to the family in an event attended by authorities and transmitted by the press.

Catalina Martínez Coral, associate director at the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, welcomed the ruling as a victory for human rights. Marisela Monzón Ramos, the eldest daughter of Celia Ramos, expressed both relief and sorrow, stating that while justice had been served, it did not erase the injustice suffered by her mother and other women.

The mass sterilizations under former president Alberto Fujimori are regarded as one of Peru's most flagrant human rights violations. Neither Fujimori nor his health ministers were ever prosecuted for the campaign. In August 2024, the Peruvian justice system overturned a criminal indictment against Fujimori in the forced sterilization case.

Marisela Monzón Ramos, now 39 years old, was just 10 when her mother died. She and her sisters have been advocating for justice, highlighting the lack of support they received within their own country. The conference where they spoke had walls covered with red and white fabrics displaying over 2,000 names of women who were sterilized without consent. Red handkerchiefs with fallopian tube symbols and the phrase 'Por Celia, por todas' were prominently displayed.

The case is unique as it is the first time the Inter-American Court has ruled on a national forced sterilization program. The court's decision requires Peru to pay approximately $340,000 in reparations to Ramos's family and issue a formal apology. Despite this ruling, the Peruvian government has not yet commented on the decision.

Isabel Cedano from DEMUS and Catalina Martínez Coral emphasized that the case of Peru is unprecedented in its scale and impact. The forced sterilizations were part of a broader program under Fujimori's administration, which included 'health festivals' designed to attract women to remote areas where they were coerced into sterilization procedures.