The issue of women's rights in Ireland has been thrust centre stage yet again, as a result of a young rape victim being denied access to pregnancy termination services. And once again international media attention has focussed on Ireland with its reluctance to fall into line with European standards governing the rights of women.
The woman denied the termination gave a harrowing account of her experience to the Irish Times in which she said, “I was raped in my country. I did not know I was pregnant until I came here.”
Ireland has had a powerful religious anti-abortion lobby which has campaigned against women having the right to terminate their pregnancies.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta speaks at press conference organised
by SPUC (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) 2nd August
1982. From Left: Mother
Teresa, Menia Aitken, Development Officer for SPUC, Ireland
A leaked version of the draft report into the death of Savita Halappanavar would seem to vindicate initial assertions by her husband Praveen about her treatment in Galway Hospital. Ms Halappanavar died in October last year after complications in her pregnancy were not addressed with the type of swift medical attention that could have saved her life. Her husband, Praveen Halappanavar, had later complained that his wife had on a number of occasions during her stay in hospital requested a termination but that this option was not made available.
Speaking on behalf of Praveen Halappanavar, his solicitor Gerard O'Donnell had this to say;
If what was published today were extracts from the report then all they do is, in some ways, vindicate what my client said from the outset as to the way his wife was treated at University Hospital Galway.
the fallout from the death of Savita Halappanavar manifested itself in people taking to the streets in Ireland demanding a change in the law pertaining to pregnancy termination.
According to the Irish Times the leaked draft report:
deals with a number of issues relating to her death, including whether her request for a termination should have been considered and whether guidelines on terminations in general are adequate. It examines the lines of responsibility of the staff providing her care as well as the follow-up that occurred where tests were carried out.
Health Minister James Reilly is withholding comment until he has received the final report.
Mother Teresa attending a SPUC conference in Dublin in 1982
‘A victory for the women of Ireland’ is how Health Minister James O’Reilly described the decision by the government to introduce a combination of legislation and regulation so as to give effect to the 1992 X Case judgment.
The speed with which the cabinet have moved in this thorny area has been prompted by public concern over the handling of the pregnancy of Savita Halappanavar who died last month in a Galway Hospital.
Ireland has a long and contentious history regarding access to pregnancy termination. In earlier years the pro-life bodies constituted a powerful lobbying group.
Mother Teresa speaking at a meeting of the Society For The Protection of Unborn Children in 1980
In recent years that influence seems to have waned as it has come under sustained challenge from pro choice groups.
