Poland - July 2025

On 17 July, the District Court in Pszczyna convicted three doctors of endangering a patient’s life after a pregnant woman died in hospital under their care in 2021. The case represents one of the first convictions of a medical professional in connection to the denial of abortion access since a 2020 Constitutional Court ruling made abortions due to birth defects illegal. The doctors had delayed the needed interventions after the woman suffered a premature membrane rupture, deciding to wait until the fetus—which had abnormalities—died. Local NGO FEDERA noted that doctors may be hesitant to provide abortion care due to fears of being prosecuted. The incident sparked nationwide protests against Poland’s restrictive abortion laws. All three doctors received professional bans ranging between four and six years; two received prison sentences between 15 and 18 months and the third received a suspended sentence. The verdict can be appealed.

Sources: Notes from Poland (1), Notes from Poland (2), BBC, FEDERA, Human Rights Watch, PAP