The Abortion Rights Campaign [ARC] is saddened by the news that a woman resident in Ireland died last year in the UK after an abortion.

Commenting, ARC spokesperson Sarah McCarthy said, “This is such a tragedy and our deepest condolences and sympathies are with the bereaved family of this woman. While very few details are available as of yet, one of the few things we can say here is that it’s key to women’s health to be able to safely access aftercare when an abortion is necessary. Forcing women to travel abroad for abortions makes finding this aftercare much, much more difficult. Her husband has stated that the two were left with no support to make their decision and were forced to delay the procedure because they needed to save enough money. No one should be financially constrained from accessing a necessary medical procedure and we are devastated that this couple were left with no support during such a time.”

Also commenting, ARC spokesperson Stephanie Fleming said, “We’re concerned that this is now the fourth non-Irish woman that we know of in the last 3 years to die tragically while pregnant and under the care of an Irish maternity hospital. Of those four, it’s certain that two requested access to an abortion in the hospital responsible for their care and were denied it. Women’s input into their care is crucial and should be respected. She’ll now be recorded as a UK maternal death even though she was sick and she sought help in Ireland, the country she lived in, and was turned away.”