LAURA´S CASE
A call for justice and public awareness
Colombia is facing its first legal case over alleged medical malpractice in gender transition treatments for minors. Laura, who began her transition process at age 15 at the Fundación Valle del Lili, has since detransitioned and is now seeking justice after suffering serious physical and psychological harm.
Her story not only exposes medical errors, but also highlights a troubling global trend: the use of experimental procedures on children and adolescents without sufficient evidence or adequate safeguards.
Case background
Laura was born in Palmira, Valle del Cauca. Between 2006 and 2008, she was a victim of sexual abuse, which resulted in long-term effects including depression and anxiety. During her adolescence, she began consuming content from influencers and YouTubers who promoted gender transition, which influenced how she perceived herself and shaped her search for explanations for her distress.
Concerned about her wellbeing, her parents sought professional help from psychologists and psychiatrists. However, in 2017, one of these professionals referred them to the Fundación Valle del Lili (FVL), where the region’s first Gender Clinic for Children and Adolescents had recently been established. Trusting medical advice, Laura’s parents turned to the clinic for what they were told would be “specialized guidance” to support their daughter through the process.
It is important to note that at the time of Laura’s referral, the clinic was still in its early stages, without established protocols or prior experience in treating gender dysphoria in minors. This lack of structure led to improvised practices and irresponsible medical experimentation.
Laura was given a rushed diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and treatments were initiated without considering her existing comorbidities. At age 15, she was prescribed testosterone, in direct contradiction of medical guidelines—including those that are favorable to sex-change treatments—followed later by puberty blockers. None of these interventions involved informed consent or a comprehensive evaluation of risks and alternatives.
In 2020, Laura underwent an irreversible chest masculinization surgery. After detransitioning, she now lives with lasting physical and psychological consequences and hopes that sharing her story will help prevent similar harm to other minors.
WHAT LAURA´S CASE REVEALS
1.Improper diagnosis
2. Untimely and improper hormone therapy
Medical experts agree that Laura’s diagnosis was irregular. They note that key aspects of her psychological history were overlooked, which worsened her mental health, and that her comorbidities were ignored throughout the time she was treated at the Clínica Valle del Lili.
3. Lack of informed consent
Laura had no medical need for hormone treatment, yet it was administered in direct contradiction of medical guidelines—including those supportive of trans health—by prescribing her testosterone before the recommended age (15) and puberty blockers for uses not endorsed or mentioned in the guidelines.
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4. Physical and psychological consequences
Throughout the case, there was a clear failure to provide comprehensive information about the irreversible risks of the treatment, including infertility. Additionally, there was no informed consent signed and agreed upon by both Laura and her parents.
Nowadays, Laura faces physical consequences—including a potential impact on her fertility—as well as profound psychological effects. Experts from Sweden, Chile, and the United States agree that the treatments she underwent can entail additional risks and complications that may threaten her long-term health, including cancer, heart attacks, and more.
Important questions
Laura feels she has been used as a showcase for “medical success.” Her family also suffered: their trust in institutions has been broken, and they now have to support her through her detransition and emotional recovery.
The case raises urgent questions:
In a context where several countries—such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, and France—have begun to restrict or ban these practices, Colombia faces the responsibility of ensuring that medicine serves the well-being and protection of the most vulnerable.
Are minors capable of making decisions about irreversible medical interventions?
Is it ethical to subject psychologically vulnerable children to experimental treatments?
¿Why is Laura´s Case important?
1. Colombia’s first legal challenge
It is one of the first cases in Latin America addressing medical malpractice in gender transition treatments for minors.
2.Institutional responsibility
It is a case holding a prestigious institution accountable for experimenting on vulnerable children without following medical protocols or having the specialized training required to carry out the treatments.
3. Protecting children of the future
This case promotes the protection of minors, aiming to prevent institutions from continuing to mislead children and families in Colombia and across the region.
4. Establishing precedents
This case has the potential to set a precedent for the protection of minors across the region.