The death of a pregnant woman opens the debate on the controversial law of abortion in Poland

His name was Izabela, was 30 years old and died pregnant for 22 weeks. "The child weighs 485 grams. At the moment, thanks to the law on abortion, I have to s

The death of a pregnant woman opens the debate on the controversial law of abortion in Poland

His name was Izabela, was 30 years old and died pregnant for 22 weeks. "The child weighs 485 grams. At the moment, thanks to the law on abortion, I have to stay in bed. And there is nothing they can do. They will wait until they die or (...) that I give me septicemia," Izabela wrote His mother in a message that was made public shortly after he died, at the end of September, in a hospital in Pszczyna, in southern Poland.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated on Saturday in Poland against a law in force since the beginning of the year that practically prohibits abortion and in memory of Izabela. "The doctors waited for the fetus to die. The fetus died, the patient died. Septic shock," wrote Jolanta Budzowska, a family lawyer, in a tuit.

According to her, Izabela, married for 10 years and another girl, 9, is the first victim of the Decision of the Constitutional Court of October 2020, which entered into force at the end of January.

The Court, supported by the Party in Law Power (PIS), banned abortion in cases of severe fetal malformation, which gave rise to the prohibition of all abortions except in cases of rape or incest, or when life of the mother is in danger.

"Neither one more" commented the thousands of protesters in Warsaw who met against the Headquarters of the Court before traveling towards the Ministry of Health.

"I am here so that the life of any woman will be in danger again. The current legislation is killing women," said Ewa Pietrzyk, a citizen of about 40 who took a photo of Izabela.

Similar manifestations took place in about 70 cities of the country.

According to a statement from the Izabela family, doctors from the Pszczyna Hospital "adopted an attitude of waiting", which related to "the current regulations limiting the possibility of legal abortion".

According to nationalists in power, the death of the young woman was not due to the decision of the court.

Two doctors at the Pszczyna hospital were suspended from their functions after the death of Izabela, while the local prosecution conducts an investigation.

According to women's rights organizations, several thousand Polish women have sought help to abort, especially abroad.

Date Of Update: 08 November 2021, 07:20