Zürcher Nachrichten - Danish PM apologises to victims of Greenland forced contraception

Between the late 1960s and 1992, Danish authorities aimed to reduce the Inuit birth rate by forcing around 4,500 women to wear a contraceptive coil -- or intrauterine device (IUD) -- without their consent.

Frederiksen said during a ceremony in Nuuk on Wednesday afternoon it had been a "betrayal that had major consequences for Greenlandic girls", adding: "On behalf of Denmark, I apologise."

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told the audience that the apology "does not mean that we accept what has happened".

Many of the women were left sterile and almost all of them have suffered from physical or psychological problems.

The scandal is one of several tainting Denmark's ties to Greenland, including forced adoptions and the removal of Greenlandic Inuit children from their families.

During the ceremony at the Nuuk Cultural Centre on Wednesday, many of the victims, dressed in black, wiped away tears and listened silently to the prime minister's apology.

Among them was Kirstine Berthelsen, who told AFP she had suffered two ectopic pregnancies, long hospital stays, operations and the removal of one fallopian tube -- issues she said were linked to the IUD.

Hearing the apology in person was vital to her healing process, the 66-year-old retiree said.

"I can then move on in my life without hatred, anger, and negativity eating me up from within," she said.

When some of the victims got a chance to speak at the event, they were greeted with a standing ovation.

- 'Good news' -

Denmark has been keen to smooth over tensions with its strategically located, resource-rich Arctic territory, which US President Donald Trump has said he wants to take over for security reasons.

At the end of August, Frederiksen presented a long-awaited apology to the victims of the forced contraception campaign, in a written statement.

On Monday, she also announced the creation of a reconciliation fund to compensate the victims, as well as other Greenlanders who suffered discrimination because of their Inuit heritage.

"It's very good news because my clients are not satisfied with just an apology," said lawyer Mads Pramming, who represents around 150 of the victims who have sued the Danish state for violating their rights.

"The timing is good. She would not have been warmly welcomed if she hadn't suggested (the compensation) in advance," he told AFP.

- 'External pressure' -

Aaja Chemnitz, an MP who represents Greenland in the Danish parliament, told AFP the apology was a direct result of Trump's assertive statements about taking over Greenland.

"It's the external pressure, especially from the United States, that is forcing Denmark to increase its efforts," she said.

"I've been an MP for 10 years and I've never seen so much effort until now."

Nevertheless, she said it would be an "important moment" for the women affected and for society as a whole.

Frederiksen has broken with the tradition of her predecessors who insisted Denmark had no reason to apologise.

"In the past, Danish prime ministers have always been extremely reluctant to acknowledge injustices committed in Greenland," said historian Astrid Andersen, a researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

The scandal came to light when one of the victims spoke out in the media several years ago about the trauma she experienced.

A podcast series in 2022 then revealed the full extent of the campaign.

The Danish and Greenlandic governments agreed to launch an independent inquiry into the scandal, which was recently completed.

A separate inquiry into the legal implications of the campaign is still going on.

Its report, which is tasked with determining whether the Danish campaign constituted a "genocide", is to be published in early 2026.

L.Rossi--NZN