Zemgale Court Reaffirms: Religious Childbirth Delivery Is Not Medical Care — In Liepāja Even the Tram Driver Knows When to Call an Ambulance

Zemgale Regional Court yesterday confirmed that religious childbirth delivery without medical education is indeed not quite the same thing as professional medical care. Three members of the First Evangelical Church of Jesus received two and a half years in prison for unauthorized medical practice and abandonment without assistance, which ended in the death of both mother and child.

In Liepāja, such news only caused head-shaking. "Our tram driver Juris, who has been driving the same route for 30 years, even he knows that if someone starts giving birth in the car, you call an ambulance, not take a spoon in your mouth," comments local resident Māra. "And he doesn't even have medical education — just a tram driving certificate."

The court announced the verdict in a closed session, so it's unknown which of the defendants received what punishment. The only thing that's clear is that all were given the security measure of "residence in a designated place," which seems odd in Liepāja, since here people usually stay where they are rather than trying to flee to other cities.

The defendants can still appeal the verdict to the Supreme Court within ten working days, but as Liepāja tram driver Juris says: "It would have been better to call a doctor right away than to complain in courts now. I also sometimes think I could be a better tram driver than I am, but that's no reason to grab the steering wheel of a train."