Pregnant woman’s death puts spotlight on Polish abortion law

By VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish hospital says doctors and midwives did everything they could to save the lives of a pregnant woman and her fetus in a case that has put the spotlight on new restrictions on Poland’s abortion law. The 30-year-old woman died of septic shock in her 22nd week of pregnancy. Doctors did not perform an abortion even though her fetus was lacking amniotic fluid, according to a lawyer for the family. Reproductive rights activists say she is the first person to die as a result of a recent restriction of Poland’s abortion law. The woman died in September but the case was only publicized Friday, triggering protests in Warsaw, Krakow and elsewhere on Monday evening. Prosecutors are investigating the case.