Three Polish doctors were found guilty of death of a pregnant woman during a debate over abortion laws

Three Polish physicians were convicted in connection with the death of a pregnant lady who had sepsis.

Poland’s increasingly severe abortion regulations have been heavily linked to the conviction of three doctors in connection with the 2021 death of a pregnant woman.

The woman, who was only publicly identified by her first name, Izabela, passed away from sepsis at 22 weeks of pregnancy following difficulties. Her family feels that her life may have been saved, but doctors were worried about breaking abortion laws, so they postponed her care. Despite a subsequent inquiry finding that abortion legislation had no bearing on the doctors’ choices, they were convicted of directly putting her life in jeopardy.

Izabela was 30 years old when she passed away. In September 2021, she was brought to a hospital in the southern Polish town of Pszczyna. Despite a diagnosis of significant developmental abnormalities in the fetus, an abortion was not offered. The baby perished in the womb, and she later succumbed to septic shock.

“The baby weighs 485g,” Izabela texted her mother from the hospital, according to Polish media at the time. Due to the abortion law, I am currently forced to lie down and there is nothing they can do about it. Sepsis is what I can anticipate if they wait till it passes away or something begins.

Later, the hospital said that it acted out of concern for the mother and the fetus.

Izabela’s death triggered nationwide demonstrations with the catchphrase “Not One More,” and her picture came to represent the campaign calling for more widespread access to abortion rights.

Her death occurred less than a month after a Constitutional Court decision that prohibited abortions in situations of severe fetal deformity, which was the reason for 98% of Poland’s legal abortions in 2019. The new rule only permitted abortions in situations where the mother’s life was in danger, rape, or incest occurred.

In 2023, prosecutors found that the court decision had no direct impact on the medical choices made in Izabela’s case; however, three doctors were accused of directly putting her life in danger.

Involuntary manslaughter was another complaint brought against one of them, Andrzej P. He was given a six-year medical practice ban and an 18-month prison sentence. Michal M., another, received the same six-year ban and a 15-month prison sentence. A four-year professional suspension and a one-year suspended prison term were handed down to the third, Krzysztof P.

Each doctor is entitled to appeal, yet none of them acknowledged guilt.

The national advocacy coordinator for the women’s rights organization Federa, Antonina Lewandowska, responded to the verdicts by telling the BBC: “No ruling is going to bring Izabela back.” The decision is extremely lenient considering the offense that was brought before the court, which is absurd. Poland’s women deserve better, and Izabela deserves better.

Although the decision is positive, justice was not fully done. A decision like this won’t sit well with the medical community, which is, to put it mildly, reluctant to conduct abortions,” she continued.

Barbara Skrobol, Izabela’s sister-in-law, told Polish news agency onet.pl: “She passed away consciously, suffering both mentally and physically.” Given the possibility of death, she pleaded for assistance.