A former midwife has had her sanction eased to a two-year denial of assisting in home births, according to a ruling by the Eastern High Court on Wednesday. The decision modifies a previous ruling from December 2023 that imposed an indefinite revocation of her midwifery authorization.

The High Court upheld the district court’s decision to fine the former midwife 20,000 kroner.

The case stems from her handling of a home birth in Birkerød in 2019, where she allegedly participated in a complicated birth without informing the maternity ward and failed to contact them upon detecting green amniotic fluid.

The defendant, Io Hultén, maintains her innocence and hopes to appeal to the Supreme Court, according to her lawyer, Asser Gregersen. However, such an appeal requires special permission from the Appeals Permission Board.

During the High Court hearings, the defense focused on the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that the rights of those giving birth are significant to the case.

The High Court’s ruling was not immediately available in writing on Wednesday afternoon.

In an interview, Hultén stated that the parents involved in the Birkerød birth were fully informed and aware of the risks associated with the birth, as the woman had previously undergone a caesarean section.

Following the detection of green amniotic fluid, the couple went to the hospital, and a healthy child was born. Subsequently, an anonymous report was filed with the Danish Patient Safety Authority.

Hultén previously operated a business assisting with home births, initially as a midwife and later as a doula.