DUBLIN: The husband of an Indian woman who died in Ireland after she was allegedly denied an abortion will not cooperate with the inquiry into her death, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, died of septicaemia days after miscarrying at Galway University Hospital in western Ireland on October 28.
Her family said she asked several times for a termination but this was refused because there was a foetal heartbeat.
The case sparked international outrage and focused attention on Ireland's abortion laws, which rule out termination unless the life of the mother is at risk.
Lawyer Gerard O'Donnell told Irish national radio that Savita's husband, Praveen Halappanavar, has no confidence in the Health Service Executive, which runs Ireland's health service, to carry out an inquiry into his wife's death.
Two investigations are under way: an internal one by the hospital and another by the HSE.
O'Donnell said Praveen Halappanavar wants an independent inquiry to be held in public on the cause of his wife's death.
"It's important to remember that he lost his wife while under the care of the HSE," O'Donnell said.
"He feels that anybody who is appointed by the HSE or paid for by the HSE to conduct an enquiry into his wife's death won't meet the criteria that we would advise him, as lawyers, of getting to the truth," he added.
Praveen Halappanavar returned to Galway on Sunday after travelling to India for his wife's cremation.
A series of protests have taken place around the world in the past week, including a march to the Irish parliament in Dublin on Saturday that was attended by 10,000 to 12,000 people, according to police estimates.
Demonstrators called on the government to introduce legislation reflecting a 1992 Supreme Court judgement that ruled women in Ireland are legally entitled to an abortion when there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother.
Opposition party Sinn Fein will introduce a motion in parliament to that effect on Tuesday.
On Monday, the HSE appointed an independent expert to chair the investigation into the death.
The seven-person inquiry team was set to include three medical consultants from Galway but hours after Praveen Halappanavar said he had no faith in the probe, Prime Minister Enda Kenny announced that this decision had been reversed.
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