This Article is From Jul 03, 2012

Tamil Nadu: Mother seeks daughter's mercy killing

Erode (Tamil Nadu): In a heart-rending plea to authorities, a middle-aged woman has sought euthanasia for her 14-year-old cerebral palsy-affected daughter.

The unusual petition was submitted by the woman on Monday during the grievances redress meeting at the Erode District Collectorate.

In her petition, she stated that she came to Erode seven years ago with her husband, a carpenter by profession. Besides her differently abled daughter, she also had another daughter.

The woman said her daughter, who was born mentally-challenged, cannot walk or speak nor recognise anyone, and she was attending to her every need for the last 14 years.

Several attempts were made to get her admitted to special schools and homes but in vain and they were at their wits' end, the woman said and appealed for ending the girl's life.

District Collector VK Shanmugam, however, assured the woman that steps would be taken to admit the girl to a home for differently abled persons.

Medical authorities said the girl was suffering from a type of cerebral palsy, a congenital disorder that occurs due to various reasons and that it was very difficult to cure such patients.

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