On June 9th last, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), called upon by Charlie’s parents, ordered the British government to maintain care until Tuesday 13th June (cf. Royaume-Uni : La CEDH requiert le maintien provisoire des soins de Charlie). The parents had lodged an appeal with the Supreme British Court which had decided to suspend the baby’s treatment (cf. La Cour Suprême d’Angleterre demande l’arrêt des soins du petit Charlie).
Charlie Gard suffers from a rare genetic disease: a syndrome called “MDDS” (Infantile onset encephalomyopathic mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome), an irreversible condition for which there is no treatment. The treatment with “nucleosides” offered in the US, that the parents wish their baby to be administered, is a gene therapy that has never provided any results, on any syndrome whatsoever. Until now, the English authorities have prevented the child from leaving the country.
On June 13th, the European Courts of Human Rights decided to maintain the request given to the United-Kingdom government until June 19th midnight in order to better study the case.
On June 19th, the Court asked for the « interim order given to the UK government to be maintained until the European Court has rendered its decision. The European Court of Human Rights decided to continue to indicate to the United Kingdom Government that they should provide Charlie Gard, (…), with such treatment and nursing care as may be appropriate to ensure that he suffers the least distress and retains the greatest dignity consistent, insofar as possible, with maintaining life.”
“In light of the exceptional circumstances of this case, the court has already accorded its priority and will treat the application with the utmost urgency. It is anticipated that as soon as the responsible chamber of the court is in a position to consider the application made on behalf of Charlie Gard and his parents an expedited timetable for the determination of this application will be established.”
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