Ireland referendum on abortion: We have got justice for Savita, says father
27 May 2018 6:51 PM GMT
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 replaced. In the referendum held on Friday and results announced last 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.
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".
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