NUIG vigil to mark one-month anniversary of Savita’s passing

A vigil will be held today at the NUI Galway campus to mark the one-month anniversary of Savita Halappanavar’s death.

The 9.30 to 11am show of solidarity has been organised by the university’s feminist society as part of wider calls to ensure a similar loss of life will not be repeated.

The NUIG group said it wants the “respectful” vigil for Ms Halappanavar, who died one month ago today, to keep Government focused on what pro-choice campaigners believe is the need to address abortion laws.

Ms Halappanavar’s husband, Praveen, is aware of the event and has given it his support.

Organisers said those taking part in this morning’s vigil plan to dress in black and stay silent throughout the protest. The event will begin at the Áras na Mac Léinn building on campus.

The vigil is taking place before a major protest outside Leinster House this evening to coincide with a Dáil debate on the X case and the abortion expert report, which was officially published yesterday.

A national protest is also due in Galway City this Saturday, beginning at 2pm in the Spanish Arch area.

Meanwhile, Mr Halappanavar’s solicitor has said he and his client have yet to receive any response from Government over their call for an independent public inquiry to be set up into Ms Halappanavar’s death.

Gerard O’Donnell repeated his insistence that if the Thursday evening deadline passes without any news, his client will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Mr O’Donnell also said his client — who was yesterday interviewed by Al Jazeera and has been approached by Time magazine in the US to speak about what has happened in the aftermath of his wife’s death — has been watching developments in the expert report issue closely.

However, Mr O’Donnell said Mr Halappanavar’s first thoughts remain with Ms Halappanavar a month after her death.

“What I would say about the expert report is this; isn’t it too late for Savita? We hope it [any potential changes arising from the expert report] save the lives of other women, but what was there to save Savita?” asked Mr O’Donnell.