Savita’s husband has no confidence in Ireland death probe

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The husband of Savita Halappanava, who died in Ireland following a miscarriage will not cooperate with the inquiry into her death, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, died of septicaemia, days after miscarrying at Galway University Hospital in western Ireland on October 28.

Her family said she asked several times for a termination but this was refused because there was a foetal heartbeat.

The case has caused local and international outrage and focused attention on Ireland's abortion laws, which rule out termination unless the life of the mother is at risk.

Lawyer Gerard O'Donnell told Irish national radio that Savita's husband, Praveen, has no confidence in the Health Service Executive, which runs Ireland's health service, to carry out an inquiry into his wife's death.

There are two investigations under way: an internal one by the hospital and another by the HSE.
O'Donnell said Halappanavar wants an independent inquiry to be held in public on the cause of his wife's death.

"It's important to remember that he lost his wife while under the care of the HSE," O'Donnell said.

"He feels that anybody who is appointed by the HSE or paid for by the HSE to conduct an enquiry into his wife's death won't meet the criteria that we would advise him, as lawyers, of getting to the truth," he added.

Halappanavar returned to Galway on Sunday after travelling to India for his wife's cremation.
A series of protests have taken place around the world in the past week, including a march to the Irish parliament in Dublin on Saturday that was attended by 10,000 to 12,000 people, according to police estimates.

Demonstrators called on the Irish government to introduce legislation to reflect a 1992 Supreme Court judgement that ruled women in Ireland are legally entitled to an abortion when there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother.

Opposition party Sinn Fein will introduce a motion in parliament to that effect on Tuesday.

On Monday, the HSE appointed an independent expert to chair the investigation into the death.

The seven-person enquiry team will also include three medical consultants from University College Galway.

Praveen Halappanavar is opposed to representatives from the Galway hospital, where his wife died, being on the enquiry team, his lawyer added.