In 2022, Kristýna entered a South Bohemian maternity hospital as a first-time mother, expecting to be respected and in the hands of professionals. What she experienced, however, is something no woman should go through. When the midwives called the head physician to ask if a C-section might be better due to a non-progressing labor and the predicted high birth weight of the baby (something Kristýna herself had also flagged), the doctor responded, “I won’t cut into a young girl.” Later, however, the staff reproached her for not insisting strongly enough on a C-section herself.

During labor, Kristýna and her partner protested as the staff applied pressure to her abdomen without explanation, an invasive and painful procedure that carries serious health risks. After birth, the placenta was removed manually by the doctors—without any anesthesia. The reason? “We don’t have enough anesthesia.” Likewise, her postpartum wounds were stitched up without any numbing, a procedure that took over an hour, during which she had to endure deeply hurtful comments: “It looks like a torn-up calendar down there.”

Kristýna now suffers from both physical and psychological consequences: vaginal prolapse, uterine descent, and trauma that has taken not only her health but also her desire to have more children. In fact, due to her physical condition, doctors do not recommend it. Despite her determination to file complaints with the hospital, regional authorities, and the Czech Medical Chamber, her complaint has been met with prejudice. The chair of the Medical Chamber’s evaluation committee, responsible for handling her complaint, is an employee of the very hospital where she gave birth. When she filed a conflict-of-interest objection, she was told no issue was found.

We are the League of Human Rights, and we represent Kristýna. We are now at the stage of preparing a lawsuit so that the hospital can be held accountable and Kristýna can finally obtain justice. We need your help. To cover the work already done and the legal costs of representing Kristýna, we need to raise 100,000 CZK. We cannot do it alone.

Your support is essential—it allows us to stand by those who cannot face this battle alone. Help us ensure that Kristýna’s rights are not further neglected and join us in the fight for a safer birthing system that respects women’s dignity and health.

This case is strategic: a successful resolution will help not only Kristýna but other women who have suffered similar trauma. Cases like this rarely make it to court—often because hospitals side with their employees, while women, after such a traumatic experience and in challenging life situations, don’t have the strength for a long legal battle. That is why this case is so important: if we succeed, it will pave the way for justice for everyone similarly affected.

We have other requests for representation in cases of obstetric violence, very similar to Kristýna’s story. However, we lack the financial resources. With your support, we will also be able to represent these women. So they, too, and their families can achieve justice!

Thank you — you are part of the change this country needs.

Learn more about the case on our website and social media.

If you have any questions about this campaign, please write to adela.holecek@llp.cz.