Verdict: Savita died of 'medical misadventure'

The husband of Savita Halappanavar, the Indian dentist who died of miscarriage after being denied treatment in an Irish hospital, said he plans to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights after an inquest returned a verdict of "medical misadventure." Dipankar De Sarkar reports.

The husband of Savita Halappanavar, the Indian dentist who died of miscarriage after being denied treatment in an Irish hospital, said he plans to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights after an inquest returned a verdict of "medical misadventure."

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Verdict was one of only two choices the jury was given, and represents a vindication of husband Praveen's version of the harrowing events leading up to Savita's death in October last year.

At the close of the two-week inquest in the town of Galway, coroner Ciaran MacLoughlin told jurors they could return either a narrative verdict outlining the circumstances of Savita's death or a verdict of "misadventure" if they thought there had been systemic failures or deficiencies in Savita's medical management.

Savita's death highlighted Ireland's orthodox Catholic laws that ban doctors from terminating pregnancies unless the life of the foetus is in danger. In the days before her death, Savita pleaded with doctors and nurses to abort the foetus but was told that Ireland "is a Catholic country." The nurse who made that comment apologised at the inquest.

Praveen's lawyer Gerard O'Donnell said Savita "had been deprived of her constitutional right to life, her right to be treated in a hospital... He (Praveen) too has a right - to be told what was happening, and told what treatment was being given to his wife."