Since 2020, the conservative Polish government has implemented a strict anti-abortion policy. In January 2021, an ultra-restrictive law banned abortion except in cases of extreme emergency, while in June 2022, a digital booklet was prepared to list the pregnancies of Polish women. A way for the government to better monitor women.
The death of Dorota Lalik, 33, 20 weeks pregnant
But anger is rising. On Wednesday June 14th, thousands of people marched through the streets of Warsaw, as well as several cities across the country, to protest against these reactionary laws. In question, the death of Dorota Lalik, 33, 20 weeks pregnant, died on May 24 in hospital. She is already the sixth died in just two years.
Read also: Poland continues its policy anti-abortion establishing a Sign in digital pregnancy
The young woman had been hospitalized three days before her death, when she had just lost her water prematurely. Suffering from headaches, vomiting or even tremors, she is deprived of adequate medical care, reports the local newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza.
Although the fetus could not be born alive, no decision was made as to whether an emergency abortion or to induce a miscarriage was appropriate. Dorota Lalik died of sepsis, caused by the death of her fetus in her womb, according to a statement released by her family.
A first conviction for aiding an abortion
If the anti-abortion law allows doctors to perform an abortion only if the woman’s life is in danger, in practice it is more difficult. Because doctors find themselves afraid to do it, the law being so restrictive that they fear ending up in illegality. For the first time, last March, a Polish activist was sentenced by a Warsaw court to social services for assisting in an abortion.
According to a poll carried out at the beginning of March, 83.7% of Poles are in favor of the liberalization of the abortion law. And this drama, which has led to the current protests, threatens to skyrocket that statistic.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
