Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1489031
11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 DECEMBER 2022 adopted unanimously, called on member states to take nec- essary measures to prohibit anti-choice organisations from misrepresenting themselves as neutral, and to investigate and prosecute online and offline hate speech targeting human rights defenders or pro-choice activists, politicians as well as people seeking abortion. Shortly after, human rights lawyer and founder of Women's Rights Foundations Lara Dimi- trijevic filed a judicial protest against Health Minister Chris Fearne and Reforms Parliamen- tary Secretary Rebecca Butti- gieg calling for the decriminal- isation of abortion. The judicial protest was signed by 188 per- sons. Prudente case brings intense scrutiny Later on that month, abortion was put squarely on the agen- da of the administration when an American tourist, Andrea Prudente, suffered a premature rupturing of her waters at 16 weeks of pregnancy. Although the foetus had no chance of survival, doctors at Mater Dei Hospital refused to terminate the pregnany, leaving Prudente at risk of developing sepsis or haemorrhaging. This put Malta under intense scrutiny from international bodies, exposing the blanket ban on abortion as cruel and inhumane. This case prompt- ed another judicial protest to be filed by 135 doctors calling for changes to Malta's strict an- ti-abortion law. Prudente was airlifted to Spain where she received the life-sav- ing termination. Following the international media frenzy that happened to coincide with the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs Wade, the landmark judgment that made abortion legal at federal level, Prudente and her partner Jay Weeldreyer filed a constitu- tional case against the Maltese state. The case is ongoing. The situation prompted Fearne to seek legal advice on how best to change the law so that doctors are in no way shackled from providing the best care possible to pregnant women. A MaltaToday survey found that an absolute majority (53.3%) believe that wom- en who have had an abortion should not be sent to prison. This marked a major shift in Maltese attitudes towards abor- tion although the vast majority remained against. Malta went on to have its second ever pro- choice rally three days before World Safe Abortion Day, call- ing for the decriminalisation of abortion and asking that it be made part of the national healthcare system. Shortly after, pro-choice youngsters who were set to debate abortion in Malta's Na- tional Youth Parliament, were bullied into silence after an- ti-abortion activists published the list of speakers and shared it in anti-abortion groups on social media. This whittled the list of pro- choice speakers down to just 11 as opposed to the original 27 that were meant to participate. Roll forward to November and the aftermath of the Prudente case saw government put for- ward a Bill to amend the Crimi- nal Code, decriminalising abor- tion of a woman's life or health is in danger. Bill 28 was tabled in parlia- ment by Health Minister Chris Fearne and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard with the Sec- ond Reading concluding in De- cember. The Opposition has said it will oppose the Bill at all parliamentary stages, insisting that the reference to 'health' be removed. This Bill was approved at Second Reading stage with all government MPs voting in fa- vour and is now expected to be debated at committee stage, where government is expected to present tweaks to clarify cer- tain matters. Bill 28 prompted heavy back- lash from anti-abortion activ- ists, the church as well as the Op- position. Thousands marched in Valletta to voice their anger over the legal amendment, in- cluding president emeritus Ma- rie-Louise Coleiro Preca, River of Love pastor Gordon Manche, Nationalist MPs including lead- er Bernard Grech. Protesters called for the pro- posed Bill to be amended to "put everyone's mind at rest and protect professionals that work to protect pregnant wom- en but also take care of the baby in the womb." Petitions and counter-peti- tions More than 80 academics came out against the proposed Bill, suggesting instead wording that excludes health as an exception and proposing the setting up of a regulatory system whereby the decision to terminate is a collective one involving a min- imum of three specialists. They also called for a register to be held by the Superinten- dent of Public Health where such terminations could be documented. The academics al- so asked that the rights of con- scientious objectors in the med- ical profession be safeguarded. Pro-choice activists reacted to the anti-abortion stand, by putting forward their own posi- tion paper, which garnered over 100 signatures. They called for the Bill to be approved without changes. Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer also collected over 160 signa- tures from MEPs and MPs from national parliaments in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Robert Abela supporting the government on the proposed amendment. The parliamentary discussion on Bill 28 will be concluded at the start of the new year and with its comfortable majority government can be sure that it will become an Act of parlia- ment. Becoming law, however, will require President George Vel- la's signature and he has already signalled his objection to the law as presented and will resign if it comes before him. Vella has said he will wait for the final wording before mak- ing any decisions. While 2022 was the year when abortion became a subject of political discussion among MPs – some- thing deemed impossible until a few years ago – it has to be seen whether the new year will start with an aborted presidency as a result. Whatever the outcome of the parliamentary process, one thing is certain – Malta's meek step to include very specific exceptions to its draconian an- ti-abortion law will continue being debated hotly in 2023. Pro-choice voice: A MaltaToday survey found that an absolute majority (53.3%) believe that women who have had an abortion should not be sent to prison. This marked a major shift in Maltese attitudes towards abortion although the vast majority remained against