irish government may face european court for abortion death

[niyad]

Irish Government May Face European Court for Abortion Death

On Thursday, Praveen Halappanavar announced that he will take the Irish government to the European Court of Human Relations over his wife's death after she was denied an abortion last month.

According to Gerard O'Donnell, Halappanavar's lawyer, Halappanavar believes the government did not investigate Savita Halappanavar's death in October sufficiently. As a result, he plans to challenge the government under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that "Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law."

Savita Halappanavar died last month in Ireland after she was denied an abortion while miscarrying her pregnancy. She was 17 weeks pregnant when she arrived at University Hospital Galway complaining of severe back pain. Hospital staff determined she was miscarrying, however doctors refused to remove the pregnancy until three days later after the fetal heartbeat had stopped. After the pregnancy was removed, Savita was transferred to intensive care where she died three days later of what was determined to be septicaemia (similar to blood poisoning). During the days before her death, Halappanavar begged to have the pregnancy terminated, but was told she was in "a Catholic country."

Her death has made international headlines and increased external and internal pressure for reforming Ireland's abortion ban. The government has launched two investigations into Halappanavar's death, however both were private investigations and have not satisfied Praveen Halappanavar or Savita's family, according to CNN.

http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=14010

[alittlelark]

1. 50% Irish and 100% disgusted.

I hope her husband can elicit changes in their archaic laws.

[freshwest]

2. I hope he gets some justice for the agonizing death of his wife to satisfy the faux 'pro-lifers.'

[sheshe2]

3. Justice for Savita and her family!

This is barbaric!

[pnwmom]

4. Good. n/t

[Odin2005]

5. K&R!

[smirkymonkey]

6. K&R!

I hope that Savita's family gets justice.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

7. also Irish and also disgusted... nt

[Zoeisright]

8. Good. Hope they rot in prison.

[Hekate]

9. Of Irish descent -- and appalled

"This is a Catholic country -- so die already, useless woman. How dare you even think of trying to save your own life?" For shame, Ireland, for shame.

I hope this will be the last scandal of its kind in Ireland, because it surely is not the first. I hope that Savita will be avenged, and no more women murdered in this fashion.

Edited to add: Lest we forget, we have like-minded politicians in the US. Ignorant pigs who believe that "No woman's life is ever threatened by a pregnancy."

Hekate

[sheshe2]

11. Hekate

They make us cry and they let us die!

So very sad.

She

[BainsBane]

10. Three days after the heartbeat stopped

They didn't need to perform an abortion. The fetus was already dead. They just needed to remove it from her body. This is even worse than I realized.

[LeftInTX]

12. I know where is the justice here?

[niyad]

13. . . .

[one_voice]

14. Good.

I hope her husband and her family are able to get some justice and maybe even change some of these archaic laws.

K&R