Nationwide protests have erupted across Poland following the death of a pregnant woman, Dorota Lalik, 33, due to sepsis. Advocates for women's rights are demanding liberalization of Poland's restrictive abortion laws, using the slogan "Stop killing us." These demonstrations are planned for numerous cities, including the capital, Warsaw.
Lalik's death occurred at the John Paul II Hospital in Nowy Targ, a deeply conservative region known for its strong Catholic influence. Reports indicate the hospital, which houses relics of the late Pope John Paul II, opposes abortions on principle. Lalik, who was five months pregnant, was admitted after her waters broke. Medical staff reportedly instructed her to lie with her legs elevated, hoping her fluids would replenish. Tragically, she developed sepsis and died three days later.
This incident has reignited the heated debate surrounding Poland's abortion laws. Currently, abortion is legal only in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman's life or health is at risk. Government officials maintain that Lalik's death was not a consequence of the law, asserting that she had the right to a legal abortion and that the hospital violated this right. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated that similar perinatal deaths occurred under previous administrations.
Women's rights groups argue that the law creates a chilling effect, leading doctors to prioritize the fetus over the woman's well-being, either due to ideology or fear of legal repercussions. They contend that several women have died since the 2020 constitutional court ruling that banned abortions in cases of severe fetal deformities, with doctors delaying procedures until the fetus's heartbeat ceased. A further complication, critics say, is the "conscience clause," which allows doctors to refuse performing abortions on moral grounds. Gazeta Wyborcza, a liberal newspaper, reported that this clause is being invoked not only by individual doctors but also by entire healthcare facilities, including the hospital where Lalik died, and called for its abolition.
While the government and anti-abortion groups acknowledge these are preventable medical errors, they insist they are unrelated to the law. They accuse pro-choice advocates of exploiting these tragedies for political gain. This tragic case has brought the already contentious abortion debate back to the forefront in Poland, sparking protests and calls for legal reform.
