It should be much more than a footnote to a scandal – but sadly that is the way it will be played by the media in Ireland and worldwide, where it wil probably not even make the footnotes.

Nine staff members who treated Savita Halappanavar before her death at Galway University Hospital have been disciplined, the Irish Health Service Executive confirmed today.

Commenting on the reports of disciplinary action, Cora Sherlock, Deputy Chairperson of Ireland’s Pro Life Campaign told it as it should be told, underlining the outrageous and shameless dishonesty of the Irish and international media’s abuse of a woman’s tragic death nearly two years ago.

“The tragic death of Savita Halappanavar was misused, massively and continuously,” Ms. Sherlock saiid, “by major players in politics and media who were more concerned with getting abortion legislation over the line than accurate reporting. Today’s report that nine members of staff who treated Ms Halappanavar before her death have been disciplined further confirms that this tragic case was never about the non-availability of abortion in Ireland at the time but the mismanagement surrounding Savita’s care.”

Ms Sherlock said “Those who pushed the distorted version of the story hardest from the start have never bothered to set the record straight in light of all the reports that have contradicted their initial presentation of the case. These journalists and politicians were happy to hard wire a false account of what happened into people’s minds and to this day they have no intention of disturbing their original narrative.

“The public discussion on abortion in Ireland at present is deeply dishonest and the reality of this has been shown most clearly in the way Savita’s tragic case was exploited and used to railroad through last year’s abortion legislation.”