Belga

"Prevent some people from having kids for the time-being"

John Crombez, the leader of the Flemish socialist party, the SP.A, has courted controversy by suggesting in an interview that it should be possible to prevent some people experiencing serious difficulties from having kids, at least for the time-being.

In the interview with the Humo magazine Mr Crombez insists that protection of the child should take precedence over a right to parenthood.

"When you hear health workers talk about babies with an overdose because they received too much of the wrong stuff via the umbilical cord, well, then you no longer have any doubts.   Children have to kick the habit in an incubator and scream out the pain.  Some addict mothers put up to three such children onto this earth.  We should prevent some people from having children temporarily!"

Speaking on VRT Radio Mr Crombez explained that he would never say to people: "You can't have children."

"Under my proposal, in certain situations, you would say: 'You are in a bad way.  We propose using contraceptives until you are better.  If people get pregnant, you would never say 'this isn't permitted'.  It's all about prevention." 

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