How the death of Savita Halappanavar changed the abortion debate

The death of Savita Halappanavar five years ago has not yet lead to a transformation of the law on abortion but change will surely happen before much longer, writes Alison O’Connor

Five years ago today Savita Halappanavar died in an Irish hospital. News of her death spread rapidly bringing our long fought domestic abortion wars on to the global stage.

‘Ireland Murders Pregnant Indian Dentist’ ran a headline from the India Times, just one of a multitude in the international media that followed her death. The report underneath stated how in a shocking incident, a 31-year-old Indian dentist had died in Ireland from blood poisoning after doctors refused to terminate her 17-week-long pregnancy. It also contained the by now infamous line where the distressed Savita, asking for a termination, was told: “This is a Catholic country”. Google the name of the 31-year-old Indian dentist now and 94,000 results come up.