Victims of Belief-based Denial
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Ana (2014) – Spain
Woman suffers serious harm after being denied right to information on serious condition affecting her fetus Ana (not her real name) was denied information on the serious condition affecting her fetus for almost six weeks. Due to this violation of her right to information, as well as the discrimination she faced in the Santa Lucía […]
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Agnieszka (2014) – Poland
In 2014, Agnieszka (a pseudonym) had to give birth to a child with acrania – with half its skull missing – because the doctor delayed the diagnosis until it was too late to have an abortion. His “conscience” wouldn’t allow him to terminate the pregnancy. It did, however, allow him to force the patient to […]
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Immigrant rape victim (2014) – Ireland
The Guardian, August 2014, by Henry McDonald Woman denied abortion in Ireland ‘became pregnant after rape’ A recent immigrant to Ireland (unnamed) was raped in her country before coming to Ireland and became pregnant. She requested an abortion at 8 weeks because she was suicidal, but was refused by a panel even though the new […]
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Anonymous (2014) – Ireland
Miscarrying woman with sepsis refused treatment by Irish hospital, suffers trauma and risk of life An anonymous Irish woman reported in May 2018 that she had to travel to England for a termination of a miscarrying pregnancy with the same circumstances as that of Savita Halappanavar. She was almost 20 weeks pregnant (when the fetus […]
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Alison (2013) – USA
Miscarrying woman develops sepsis after being repeatedly mistreated and discharged by Catholic hospital Alison lives in Bellingham, Washington (State), where there is only one hospital – a Catholic one. Three months into her pregnancy in 2013, Alison started bleeding. Her doctor Shayne Mora diagnosed her with a possible case of placenta previa and told her […]
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Savita † (2012) – Ireland
A death that shocked a family, a hospital, and a country Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, died on October 28, 2012 at University Hospital Galway in Ireland of sepsis after she miscarried at 17 weeks. She was denied a termination due to Irish law giving “equal” rights to fetuses and pregnant women, but inadequate care […]
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Paula (2012) – Spain
“The doctors’ right to object nearly cost me my life” El Pais, Nov 9, 2016, Cristina Huete The Galician public health service in Spain was ordered to compensate a woman €270,000 for her suffering and permanent injuries after a hospital refused to perform an abortion because of “conscientious objection”, even though the fetus was incompatible […]
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Franzisca (2012) – Spain
Woman not informed of serious fetal defects at 12-week ultrasound Franzisca and her husband went for an ultrasound on 23 October 2012 at 12 weeks of pregnancy. It was their third pregnancy, and a wanted child. The doctor noticed a lump on the head of the fetus and didn’t know what it was. She was […]
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Aurora (2012) – Costa Rica
Woman denied abortion for fatal fetal abnormality forced to carry to term and suffer multiple rights violations 32-year old Aurora became pregnant in June 2012, after several attempts. In August, she attended a prenatal checkup at the hospital, where her pregnancy was diagnosed with “possible abdominal wall syndrome”. The doctor said they had to wait […]
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Kathleen Prieskorn (2011) – USA
Ms. Magazine, Spring 2011, by Molly M. Ginty Treatment Denied Kathleen Prieskorn of New Hampshire was three months pregnant when her amniotic sac ruptured. The nearest hospital had recently merged with a Catholic hospital, and because her doctor could still detect a fetal heartbeat, he wasn’t allowed to perform a uterine evacuation. Instead, she had […]