A court in Iceland has removed parental rights from Alexandre Rocha, a father opposing his 11-year-old autistic son’s gender transition, awarding custody to the child’s mother. Rocha, a French national living in Iceland for 25 years, claims the decision was influenced by his objections to puberty blockers and hormone therapy prescribed to his son.
Father Challenges Medical Treatment and Court Decision
Rocha said the court disregarded his concerns about the long-term effects of medical interventions, describing the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy on minors as harmful. He argued that his son’s autism spectrum disorder diagnosis was largely overlooked during legal proceedings. Rocha highlighted that children with autism may struggle with self-identity and that his son sometimes expressed desires to be a cat, illustrating complex sensory and identity issues.
Despite raising these points, Rocha said an Icelandic endocrinologist testified under oath that hormone treatments posed no risk and refused to consider other underlying mental health factors. Following the ruling, Rocha fears his son could be receiving hormone treatments without his knowledge.
Custody Case Sparks International Attention and Support
The boy’s mother reportedly changed the child’s legal name to a female name, furthering the gender transition process. Rocha interprets the custody ruling as a move to silence parental opposition and enforce ideological conformity. His case has drawn international attention, including from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who publicly shared support after facing a similar family situation.
Rocha expressed gratitude for the support but lamented his separation from his son, last seeing him in January. He emphasized missing everyday parenting moments and criticized the court’s handling of the case as prioritizing ideological goals over child welfare.
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