Three women sue Norwegian state over 1965 hospital mix-up in Oslo

In a remarkable case set to unfold in Oslo, three women are suing the Norwegian state and municipality over a hospital mix-up that occurred in 1965, where two babies were mistakenly swapped at a maternity ward in Sunnmøre. The wrongdoing was not discovered until many years later, prompting the women to seek compensation for violations of their human rights, lost childhoods, and denied opportunities to connect with their biological families.

Karen Rafteseth Dokken was one of the mothers affected. After giving birth on February 14, 1965, she unintentionally left the hospital with another family’s baby, a mistake that went undetected for years. The mix-up was finally uncovered due to a blood test performed in 1981 when her daughter, now a young woman, questioned her biological relationship with Karen. This led to a complicated and lengthy search for the truth, marked by a lack of transparency from local health authorities.

Now, nearly 60 years later, the plaintiffs aim to have the court acknowledge that both the state and municipality have wronged them. They are also pursuing significant damages, amounting to millions. Despite the gravity of the case—the only one of its kind in Europe—the authorities have denied responsibility, asserting that the claims are beyond the statute of limitations.

The trial is scheduled for November 11-14 at the Oslo District Court. As the case progresses, both families involved are grappling with a mix of emotions, hoping for acknowledgment and accountability for the immense distress caused by the decades-old error.