April passed under the shadow of further events related to the publication of Ms Anita’s case.
Since the media published the story of Ms. Anita, a client of FEDERA, whose doctors concealed the true condition of her foetus and then refused to perform a legal abortion, which she ultimately obtained in Oleśnica in Lower Silesia, the case has continued to stir public opinion.
MEP Grzegorz Braun unlawfully entered the hospital premises in Oleśnica and, under the guise of parliamentary intervention, disrupted the functioning of the facility and attempted to deprive hospital staff of their liberty. The police intervened. The public prosecutor’s office is conducting an investigation to clarify the details of the incident. In view of the situation, FEDERA has sent a letter to the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, requesting disciplinary action against Mr Braun.
Doctors from the Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians sent a letter to the Ministry of Health asking for an interpretation of the regulations on abortion and the legality of foetal asystole. According to FEDERA, the regulations on this matter are clear and Polish law does not require the foetus to be saved after 24 weeks of pregnancy, leaving the decision to the woman. In response to the doctors’ letter, FEDERA, together with over 30 other feminist organisations, sent a letter to the Ministry of Health, pointing out that the actions of the Polish Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians could restrict the right to abortion in Poland.
During a league football match between Legia Warsaw and Lechia Gdańsk, a vulgar banner comparing Dr Jagielska to a Nazi war criminal appeared in the Legia ultras’ stands. In response, FEDERA sent a letter to Legia Warsaw and the Polish Football Association asking for a response. In addition, the public prosecutor’s office has initiated proceedings in this case.
During a press conference organised jointly with Akcja Demokracja, FEDERA appealed to the Minister of Justice, Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar, to respect the guidelines issued in 2024 on the conduct of criminal proceedings related to abortion. In our opinion, the fact that the prosecutor’s office in Oleśnica has initiated proceedings in a case of so called illegal legal abortion, when the procedure performed by Dr Jagielska was completely lawful, may have a dangerous chilling effect on doctors providing legal abortion care.
The chilling effect may also be caused by the fact that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Gizela Jagielska within the medical self-government. In FEDERA’s opinion, this is a completely arbitrary decision with no justification.
In addition, in connection with attacks on Dr Gizela Jagielska by anti-abortion organisations actively protesting outside the hospital where Anita received legal care, FEDERA has requested the intervention of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. FEDERA has also created an online petition in defence of Dr Jagielska.
Some of the additional actions taken by FEDERA remain unpublished at this time due to the ongoing legal proceedings. The entire FEDERA team was actively involved in April in assisting Dr Jagielska, combating dangerous misinformation on social media and providing numerous comments to the press.
