Paying addicts to be sterilised is inhumane, says mother who turned her back on heroin

A mother today defended the rights of drug addicts and alcoholics to have children as a scheme paying them to be sterilised was set up in Britain.

Selina Janvier, a former addict, says the concept is "horrific and inhumane". She spoke out as US charity Project Prevention, which offers money to those it believes should not have babies, arrived in Britain and had its first customer.

A 38-year-old, known only as John, was given £200 in exchange for a vasectomy. He admitted the offer of money spurred him into going ahead with the procedure.

Miss Janvier, 41, a former crack and heroin addict and prostitute, started using drugs at the age of 10. She said: "If sterilisation was available back then, I wouldn't be here and nor would my kids. Most abusers are homeless and so £200 would be a lot of money to them. When you are on the drugs you feel unworthy and you are emotionally stunted. Something like this takes advantage of a person's vulnerability. It is horrific and inhumane."

Project Prevention was set up by Barbara Harris, from North Carolina, who adopted four children born to a crack addict mother.

On a BBC documentary to be shown tonight, she says: "I got very angry about the damage that these drugs do to these children."

Miss Janvier, of King's Cross, had three children taken into care — they have been returned to her — and two adopted. She has been clean for eight years and now volunteers for drugs recovery programme Victory Outreach.

She said: "I understand how horrific it is to see your child born into this world an addict, it was harrowing to see his pain. After that I changed my life. I got my kids back and they are now successful people. If I had met someone like Barbara Harris years ago, my children would not be here today."

BBC London's Inside Out investigation will be screened tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One.