London : The still-grieving father of Savita Halappanavar, the 31-year-old Indian dentist who died of sepsis in 2012 after being denied an abortion during a miscarriage, has welcomed the result of Ireland’s landmark referendum to overturn the abortion ban, saying “we have got justice for Savita”.
Savita’s death was a catalyst for the movement to repeal the eighth amendment, paving the way for new legislation to allow for the termination of pregnancies in the predominantly Catholic country.
The Eighth Amendment grants an equal right to life to the mother and unborn, is now set to be on Friday night, people in Ireland voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4 per cent to 33.6 per cent.
Hundreds of People chanted Savita’s name soon after the outcome of the referendum was announced, reports PTI.
Ireland’s Indian-origin Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who campaigned in favour of liberalisation, said it was “a historic day for Ireland,” and that a “quiet revolution” had taken place.
Varadkar told people at Dublin Castle that the result showed the Irish public “trust and respect women to make their own decision and choices.”
Reacting to the outcome of the referendum, Andanappa Yalagi, Savita’s father said he was “very happy”.
Abortion vote: Catholics are worried and dismayed
Dublin: Irish Catholics attending Sunday Mass were disappointed with the result of a referendum in which voters opted to legalise abortion and think it reflects the weakening of the Church – a situation that was unthinkable in Ireland a generation ago. There was no mention of the referendum during the sermon at St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral, but it was weighing heavily on the minds of some worshippers as they left the Mass in central Dublin. Ireland voted by a roughly two-to-one margin on Friday to end a constitutional ban on abortion, and parliament is expected to approve a more liberal set of laws governing the termination of pregnancies.