- A 19-year-old girl asked the Spanish health authorities to pay 3.5 million US dollars after swapping with another newborn nearly 20 years ago.
- They were confused by human error in San Millan de Logrono, Spain in 2002.
- This error was discovered four years ago.
A 19-year-old woman is seeking millions of euros in compensation after an accidental exchange with another newborn baby in a Spanish hospital nearly 20 years ago.
In 2002, due to “one-time human error,” these babies were born five hours apart and were placed in an incubator in San Millan de Logrono in northern Spain, local health authorities said.
This error was discovered four years ago after one of the girls who had been exchanged took a DNA test as part of a child support dispute.
Her lawyer Jose Saez-Morga told AFP that the 19-year-old woman asked the health authorities to pay 3 million euros (3.5 million U.S. dollars) because she was handed over to the wrong family.
He said:
We are talking about huge losses, which will last her life and will never be repaired.
He added that the health authorities in the Rioja region have so far only provided 215,000 euros in compensation to the unnamed woman.
Sara Alba, the regional health director, said that the computer system at that time did not have as many details as today, and emphasized that similar confusion will not occur again.
She said at a press conference on Tuesday that officials “did not know” that there were any other cases in the hospital, which had been closed.
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“We can’t determine who is responsible for this mistake,” Alba said.
“This is a one-time human error and it cannot happen today. We can guarantee that this situation will not happen again.”
Saez-Morga said that another young woman had changed at birth and her family had also undergone DNA testing.
He added that she also requested to remain anonymous and so far has not filed a lawsuit.
According to Spanish media reports, one woman was sent to live with a couple she believed to be her parents, while the other woman who filed the lawsuit was raised mainly by a woman she mistakenly believed to be her grandmother.
