Overview

• A Frankfurt court has ruled that a clinic must release frozen sperm from a deceased man to his widow for artificial insemination purposes.
• The clinic had refused, citing a contract with the deceased that stipulated sperm destruction after his death and concerns over Germany's Embryo Protection Act.
• The court found the widow's claims of a shared desire for children credible, including the deceased's expressed wish for a child even after his death.
• The ruling clarified that the Embryo Protection Act does not prohibit this case and that clinic staff would not face legal repercussions.
• The widow plans to undergo the procedure in Spain, where the legal framework permits such inseminations; the decision is not yet legally binding.