Salvita Halappanavar: Her tragic death and how she became a pivotal figure in Ireland's abortion debate.
Savita Halappanavar was an Indian dentist who died on 28 October 2012 at University Hospital Galway after her request for an abortion was 'refused.' She was 17 weeks pregnant. The cause of death was recorded as severe sepsis, E.coli in the bloodstream and a miscarriage at 17 weeks.
Savita's family said she asked several times for her pregnancy to be terminated because she had severe back pain and was miscarrying. Her husband told the BBC that it was refused because there was a foetal heartbeat and that staff at University Hospital Galway told them Ireland was "a Catholic country."
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Her death precipitated a huge rallying cry for changes to Irish law in respect of abortion. Making her name not only a household one, but one that has become commonplace in continued debates about the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.
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Media reports and the outcry:
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The story was reported across every outlet in Ireland, dominated the political agenda of the coming weeks and made headlines across the world.
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- On 16 November, the main story on the India Times website was run under the headline Ireland Murders Pregnant Indian Dentist.
- Reporters spoke to her heartbroken husband and father.
- Immediately, calls were made for changes to Ireland’s abortion laws. At that time, the X Case still had not been legislated for. (Read more on that here)
Actress and human rights activist Emma Watson has written a touching tribute to the late Savita Halappanavar.
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Emma, who has been campaigning for women’s rights for years, uses the letter to call for “reproductive justice” around the world. Writing with "love and solidarity", the 28-year-old hopes Savita's death will lead to improved women's healthcare across the globe
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Read her letter here.
A Savita Halappanavar mural, Dublin.
Image from: Wikimedia Commons