The verdict came after an American couple sued an IVF clinic when their frozen embryos were destroyed at the clinic in 2021.
The incident happened after a patient broke into the storage freezers and dropped several trays of embryos.
The couple sued the clinic, citing the Death of a Minor Act, the same classification used for abortion. The sentence was first handed down in a lower instance, but after the appeal, the clinic was sentenced in the Supreme Court.
The judge referred to the Bible
The court also held that it is “the general policy of the state to recognize and support unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life,” citing the state constitution.
The judgment came with the statement: “We believe that every human being, from the moment of conception, is made in the image of God, created by Him to reflect His likeness.” That’s what the American newspaper writes The New Republic.
May mean consequences for IVF clinics
The consequences can be that IVF clinics do not want to create as many embryos, as there are risks that they could be damaged. It can also mean that parents may be forced to pay lifelong storage fees for embryos they will never get to dispose of, even if they don’t want any more children.
About two percent of the children born in the United States today are created through IVF, according to CNN.