Anorexic woman should be allowed to die

A judge’s decision to order the force-feeding of a 32 year old anorexic woman has been criticised by a Rochdale MEP.

The woman, who cannot be named, has suffered from anorexia since she was 12 years old. She has twice signed legal declarations that oppose her being given food against her will.

Although describing her as “intelligent and charming”, Mr Justice Peter Jackson, sitting at the Court of Protection, ordered last Friday that she be force fed. He admitted that this was not necessarily in her best interests.

Rochdale Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies accepted that the judge had had to make a difficult decision but he insisted that the woman’s wishes should be respected.

He said: “Is she to be tied down and fed by force against her will for a week, a month, or for the rest of her life?

“This is not a matter of treating a child who may recover, but of respecting the repeated wishes of a mature woman who understands the consequences of her decision.”