Woman who travelled from Ireland for abortion dies in London taxi
UK authorities are investigating the death of a woman who travelled from Dublin to London for an abortion but died hours after the procedure.
The 32-year-old, who was a foreign national living in Ireland, underwent an abortion at a Marie Stopes clinic in west London in January 2012.
She died in a taxi hours after the procedure.
Marie Stopes International declined to comment because of client confidentiality.
The Metropolitan Police said a file on the woman’s death had been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service in April this year.
An inquest is yet to be held.
The Met continue to investigate the sudden death, a spokesman said.
The woman’s husband told The Irish Times that his wife had sought an abortion at a maternity hospital in Dublin but had been told that it was not legally possible to provide one.
New legislation allowing for a termination in Irish hospitals when a woman’s life is in danger are expected to be formally signed into laws in coming days.
It is understood the woman’s life was not considered to be at risk when she sought the procedure although she had a condition which raised the risk of miscarriage.
The woman’s husband, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he is frustrated at the lack of progress in the investigation.
“I think if this was an Irish or a British woman, we would know what happened to her. But I am still waiting for answers,” he said.
The woman had a child in Ireland in 2010. Her pregnancy was painful and complicated by extensive fibroids and treatment could have left her her infertile.
“We were worried about what would happen when she became pregnant again,” he said.
“She was sick, but we were told that nothing could be done in Ireland.”
It is understood the woman was about 20 weeks pregnant when she travelled to Britain for an abortion.
Her husband told the newspaper that she may have acted sooner but was examining options and raising money for the procedure.
It is understood the woman was suddenly taken ill in the Slough area of Berkshire at about midnight on the day of the procedure while in a taxi.
She was pronounced dead at Wexham Park Hospital after suffering a heart attack caused by extensive internal blood loss.
The couple were in Ireland on student visas at the time of her death.
