14:19 3 November 2021
Death of a young pregnant woman resumes protests over the abortion law
On Monday (November 1), on All Saints' Day, protests were held across the country in connection with the death of a 30-year-old woman who died in a hospital in Pszczyna while she was 22 weeks pregnant. Doctors were said to hold off removing the fetus until its heart stopped beating. The patient died of septic shock.
The County Hospital in Pszczyna published its position on this matter on Wednesday (November 3). We read in it that "all medical procedures are subject to prosecutor's assessment and no verdicts can be passed at the moment". It added that "all medical decisions were made taking into account the legal provisions and standards of conduct in force in Poland".
Poland now has almost the strictest abortion law in the EU. Only in one country is abortion completely banned – Malta. In Malta, until 2012, the law also prohibited divorce.
In the vast majority of European countries, termination of pregnancy (regardless of the reasons) is possible up to the 12th week, but in Sweden up to the 18th week (and until the 22nd week if the mother's life or health is at risk), and in Great Britain even up to 24 weeks. week.
