Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a long-awaited apology to the Greenlandic women and their families affected by what she called systematic discrimination during a contraceptive campaign.
During the 1960s and 70s thousands of Inuit women and girls as young as 12 were fitted with contraceptive devices, as part of a birth-control programme administered by Danish doctors.
We cannot change what has happened. But we can take responsibility, Frederiksen said of the scandal.
On behalf of Denmark, I would like to say sorry, she said, acknowledging that victims had experienced both physical and psychological harm.
The scale of the birth-control programme was first brought to light in 2022, by an investigative podcast called Spiralkampagnen - the coil campaign.
Records from the national archives showed that, between 1966 and 1970, 4,500 women and girls had an IUD implanted, with consent being a major concern.
A group of 143 women have filed a lawsuit seeking compensation, emphasizing the long-lasting impact of the program.
Frederiksen acknowledged the anger and sadness this case has caused many Greenlanders, remarking that it has damaged perceptions of Denmark.
The apology, while welcomed by advocates, raises ongoing questions about restorative justice and compensation for affected women.
