Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued an official apology to Greenlandic women and young girls who were subjected to systematic discrimination related to the “spiral case” during the period when Denmark oversaw healthcare in Greenland. This announcement came via a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday.

Frederiksen acknowledged the profound impact of the spiral case, stating, “We recognize that the spiral case is a source of both anger and sorrow for many Greenlanders and many families in Greenland. And it naturally has an impact on the perception of Denmark and the Commonwealth.”

The apology also extends to other instances of mistreatment, as Frederiksen stated, “My apology on behalf of Denmark is also an apology for these other failures for which Denmark is responsible, where Greenlanders have systematically been treated differently and worse than other citizens of the kingdom.”

The “spiral case” involves the insertion of contraceptive spirals into Greenlandic women and young girls, beginning in the 1960s, often without their informed consent. Many women have since shared their experiences in the media, asserting that the procedures were performed without their knowledge.

In the past year, 143 women who had spirals inserted involuntarily have filed a lawsuit against Denmark, alleging human rights violations and seeking a total of DKK 43 million in compensation.

An independent report on the spiral case, which has been delayed multiple times, is now expected to be released in September. Frederiksen affirmed that the government, in collaboration with Naalakkersuisut (the Greenlandic government), will address the report’s findings.

“Once the independent report on the spiral case is completed, the government, together with Naalakkersuisut, will continue discussions on how best to learn from and deal with the concrete consequences of the dark chapters in our shared history. This also applies to questions of possible financial compensation in the spiral case and other specific cases,” Frederiksen stated.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the Chairman of Naalakkersuisut, also issued an apology for cases occurring after Greenland assumed responsibility for its healthcare. He stated, “Apologies to those of you who have been subjected to and lived with the consequences of interventions you did not ask for or control.”

Nielsen acknowledged Greenland’s own responsibility in these matters, adding, “Naalakkersuisut recognizes our own responsibility. It has therefore already been decided to grant access to compensation for affected women. Work on this has been underway since January, and an announcement will be made as soon as possible on how affected women can apply for compensation.”