Here is a collection of stories where women were refused a legal abortion and suffered serious injury or injustice as a result, including death in some cases. Doctors and hospitals are rarely punished or convicted for these wrongdoings.
Media coverage about serious consequences of belief-based care denial usually only happens when a woman dies, or a woman or her family sues. Here are their stories we could find, but these must be the tip of the iceberg. We know nothing about the vast majority of belief-based denials, or what happens to the victims.
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
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 […]
-
Pordenone victim (2010) – Italy
Vita Donna, April 2013 Objecting physician sentenced to one year in prison for denying care In the province of Pordenone, a woman became very ill after a voluntary surgical abortion. A midwife on duty feared hemorrhage and called for the intervention of the gynecologist on duty. But the doctor appealed to conscientious objection and refused […]
-
Tamesha (2010) – USA
The Guardian, Feb 2016, by Molly Redden Abortion ban linked to dangerous miscarriages at Catholic hospital, report claims Tamesha was 18 weeks pregnant with her third child when her water broke. She rushed to the nearest hospital, which is operated by Mercy Health Partners in Muskegon, Michigan. Because she was only 18 weeks along, the […]
-
Valentina Magnanti (2010) – Italy
Broadly, April 18, 2016, Matteo Congregalli Abortion Is Legal in Italy, But It’s Almost Impossible to Get One Valentina Magnanti was admitted to a hospital in the Lazio region of Italy for an abortion in the 5th month of pregnancy because her fetus was non-viable. But she was left alone in pain for 16 hours […]
-
Mindy (2009) – USA
Illinois Woman Denied Emergency Abortion at Two Hospitals that Adhere to Catholic Directives Mindy Swank and her husband were looking forward to the birth of a much-wanted second child. At 17 weeks, hydrocephaly was discovered, but they still wanted to continue and provide their baby with the best medical care. However, Mindy’s water broke prematurely […]
-
Laura (2008) – Italy
Aborto Inchiesta, Reviewed by EC, 5 March 2015 Abortion among the objectors: the Modern Inquisition (Abortire tra gli obiettori. La moderna inquisizione) In the fifth month of pregnancy, Laura Fiore of Naples discovered she was pregnant with a child with Down syndrome. Aged 39, unemployed, and a mother of a 10-year old, she decided to […]
-
Irena (2007) – Spain
Woman was refused tests and information on the serious conditions of her fetus Irena (not her real name), a Brazilian citizen living in Spain, became pregnant in 2007 but suffered numerous bleeding episodes. She was followed at the Hospital de Burela, but doctors did not investigate the cause or take any action beyond recommending rest. […]
-
Ana (2007) – Costa Rica
Woman repeatedly denied termination despite health issues and fatal fetal abnormality; forced to suffer A 26-year old Costa Rican woman called Ana y Aurora (a pseudonym), found out in Feb. 2007 that her 6-week pregnancy was at risk, and she was diagnosed with a fetal pathology incompatible with life. Despite being plunged into a deep […]
-
L.C. (2007) – Peru
Raped Peruvian Teen Jumps Out of Window, Then Denied Abortion L.C. was 13 years old and living in an impoverished region near Peru’s capital city of Lima. Starting in 2006, she was raped repeatedly by a 34-year-old man. When she discovered she was pregnant, he denied that the child could be his, so in desperation, […]
-
X (2007) – Colombia
Thirteen-year-old rape victim refused legal abortion, forced to give birth and suffer complications As a consequence of rape, X, a thirteen-year-old child, became pregnant. She was refused a legal abortion by health service providers and subsequently by the justice system, which refused to recognize her right to access a legal abortion despite her compliance with […]
-
Ana María † (2006) – Argentina
Pregnant woman with cancer dies after being denied treatment and termination In September 2006, Ana María Acevedo, a 19-year-old and mother of three children, went to her local hospital due to dental pain. After carrying out extractions and tests, the patient returned in October with a facial swelling. After undergoing more tests, Ana María was […]
-
LMR (2006) – Argentina
Rape victim with cognitive disability denied legal abortion, forced to have clandestine abortion LMR attended a special school in Buenos Aires because she had the cognitive functioning of an 8-to 10-year-old. At nineteen, LMR was raped, allegedly by her uncle, and became pregnant. She qualified for a legal abortion under Argentina’s exception for victims of […]
-
Ms B † (2004) – New Zealand
Dying mum begged docs to abort baby Ms B died of catastrophic heart failure because of a high-risk pregnancy that should have been aborted. In 2005, her sister filed a complaint with the New Zealand Health and Disability Commissioner, alleging negligent care by the hospital. Ms B had requested a termination after being told her […]
-
Agata † (2004) – Poland
Doctors Let Woman Die Rather Than Harm Her Fetus Agata Lamczak died because doctors repeatedly refused to provide adequate treatment for her condition, with some citing “CO” and claiming that the treatments might harm the fetus. Agata suffered from ulcerative colitis and gestational diabetes, but the doctors did everything they could not to treat her. […]