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🇩🇰 Denmark /Conflict & Security

No evidence of genocide in Danish IUD case, says report author

From Berlingske · () Danish

Translated from Danish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A report author stated there is no evidence of genocide by the Danish state in the 'spiral case,' where Greenlandic women were fitted with IUDs without consent.
  • The case involved the forced or non-consensual insertion of IUDs into Greenlandic girls and women between 1960 and 1991.
  • While one report found no evidence of genocidal intent, another report suggested genocide remains a possible conclusion, to be determined by a court.

A prominent legal expert has asserted that there is no evidence to support claims of genocide against the Danish state in relation to the controversial 'spiral case.' Jonas Christoffersen, a co-author of one of two long-awaited reports examining human rights violations in the case, stated that no one ever had the ambition to destroy the Greenlandic population.

There is no evidence that the Danish state has committed genocide against the Greenlandic population in connection with the spiral case.

— Jonas Christoffersen, report co-authorStating his findings on the 'spiral case'.

"There are simply no proofs of that," Christoffersen said, referring to the idea that the Danish state committed genocide. The 'spiral case' concerns the insertion of intrauterine devices (IUDs), commonly known as spirals, into Greenlandic girls and women between 1960 and 1991, often without their knowledge or consent.

There is no indication that anyone at any time had the ambition to destroy the Greenlandic population.

— Jonas Christoffersen, report co-authorAddressing the intent behind the IUD insertions.

Christoffersen's report, co-authored with a Danish colleague, concluded that no genocide occurred. This finding contrasts with the second report, prepared by researchers from New Zealand and Canada, which suggested that genocide remains a "possible conclusion" that can only be assessed by a court. Christoffersen expressed bewilderment at this stance, emphasizing that the definition of genocide requires intent to destroy a population, for which he sees "zero evidence."

There is simply no evidence of that.

— Jonas Christoffersen, report co-authorResponding to the possibility of genocide.
About this summary

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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