[Sterilization of the mentally handicapped as a sacred process]

On the basis of the concept of sacredness, this article sheds light on the motivations of parents who request sterilization for their mentally handicapped child. Sterilization is characterized as a ritualized practice whose meaning and function must be clearly defined. With this surgical procedure, the special status of the mentally handicapped is established. They become "sacred" beings, who, by definition, are forbidden to reproduce. This concept of sacredness through sterilization emphasizes the representation of handicapped individuals in angelic forms.