NEW DELHI (AP) — The parents of an Indian woman who suffered a miscarriage and died after being refused an abortion in an Irish hospital have slammed Ireland’s abortion laws.

Savita Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when she miscarried and died last month.

Ireland’s government confirmed Wednesday that Halappanavar suffered from blood poisoning and died after being denied an abortion, reigniting the debate over legalizing abortion in the predominantly Catholic country.

A. Mahadevi, Halappanavar’s mother, said Thursday that in trying to save a 4-month-old fetus doctors killed her 31-year-old daughter.

Halappanavar’s husband, Praveen, said doctors knew his wife was miscarrying within hours of her hospitalization for severe pain Oct. 21. But he said for three days they refused requests for an abortion to combat her pain and fading health. She died a week later.