In decision from 8 November 2011, the first in the series of cases brought by forcibly sterilized Romani women, the European Court ruled in favour of the Applicant V. C. and declared a violation of her rights to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment (under Article 3 of the Convention) and the right to private and family life (under Article 8 of the Convention). The European Court rejected the claims of the Slovak Government that sterilization was “medically necessary” since sterilization is not a lifer saving surgery and the Applicant’s informed consent was pre-requisite for the intervention. In the Court’s view, the approach of the medical personnel of the Prešov Hospital was not compatible with the principles of respect for human dignity and human freedom embodied in the Convention as it did not permit the Applicant to take a decision of her own free will, after consideration of all the relevant issues. Apart of the violation of Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention, the Court ordered the Slovak Government to pay the compensations to the Applicant in the amount of 31,000 EUR as well as the reimbursement of her legal costs. Our attorney represented the Aplicant in the proceeding before the Court within our stretegic litigation program.