Doctor to pay for unwanted baby

The gynaecologist had inserted a patch into the patient's arm, but it failed to prevent pregnancy six months later.

The woman, who had recently qualified as a teacher, had to give up her new job to care for her child.

The highest judicial court has ruled the doctor must pay 600 euros (£400) a month until the child reaches 18.

German gynaecologists now fear a flood of lawsuits, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin.

The decision in Karlsruhe, made on Tuesday, has met with disapproval in the German press.

The conservative Die Welt said the whole idea of damages being paid for the birth of a child was "perverse": "In addition to the highly private inkling that he was not wanted by his parents, he now has official confirmation that he was born by mistake," it said.

The device is meant to protect against pregnancy for up to three years, but six months after the operation, the implant could no longer be found in the woman's body, the court said.

The parents, who had known each other six months at the time of the conception, were no longer together, the court said.

The father will also be compensated for the maintenance he is paying for the child.

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