Court hears woman from Ireland collapsed after 20 week abortion but was then discharged before bleeding to death

A Magistrates' Court in London has heard that a woman from Ireland who died hours after an abortion at a Marie Stopes clinic in London had collapsed on the floor hyperventilating after the procedure, but was then later discharged by the abortion clinic staff. 

The 32 year old woman, who was 22 weeks pregnant, died in Ealing after undergoing an abortion in 2012 in the Marie Stopes clinic. Mr Colin Gibbs from the Crown Prosecution Service told the court that the woman suffered internal tears from the procedure and major blood loss and that she had then collapsed on the floor hyperventilating. However, she was then discharged several hours later at 8.30 pm and put in a taxi, where she went unconscious before being brought to A&E, and was pronounced dead by 10pm. Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute said that the tragic case shone a spotlight on the appalling disregard for the lives of both women and babies, which was the hallmark of abortion clinics globally. 

"Abortion is a medieval procedure which has no place in modern medicine," she said. "This woman lost her life because a registered, legal abortion clinic butchered her, tearing her uterus, causing her to collapse, and then simply discharged her without ensuring she was safe. It's appalling, and I very much hope that the Irish media will now examine the Marie Stopes clinics chain with the kind of scrutiny that is required." 

"This is one of Marie Stopes' busiest clinics; they have boasted that hundreds of Irish women attend this clinic, but another Irish woman also nearly lost her life in this same clinic in 2006. Why has the media not investigated the appalling record of Marie Stopes and the danger it presents to both mother and babies?" she said.

Dr Adedayo Adedeji, 62, and nurses Gemma Pullen, 31, and Margaret Miller, 54, have been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence and were required to appear before the Ealing Magistrates' Court today. The charge all three face also relates to failing to take reasonable care of those affected by omissions at work, contrary to the Health and Safety Act 1974, Scotland Yard said. All three were remanded on bail before trial at the Old Bailey on July 3rd.