A Spanish woman mistakenly swapped with another newborn at a hospital has been awarded €975,000 in compensation, 23 years later, by a court in La Rioja.
The incident dates back to June 2002, when two babies were swapped at a hospital in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, for reasons still unknown.
The newborns were handed over to mothers who were not their biological parents.
Years later, one of the women discovered through a DNA test that she had not been raised by her biological family.
It took until 2021 for both women to confirm that they had been switched at birth. Officials blamed the mix-up on human error.
The second victim is also seeking €3 million in compensation. Authorities initially offered both women €850,000 each, but they deemed the amount insufficient.
In its ruling, the court increased the compensation to €975,000 for one of the women, citing the irreversible impact of the swap, including the loss of her opportunity to meet her biological mother, who passed away in 2018.
Both sides – the woman seeking €3 million and the regional health services – may still appeal the verdict to Spain’s Supreme Court.
