Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538195
THE government is trying to introduce abortion into Malta without telling us. They don't want to call it abortion. They don't want open debate. They want to sneak it in quietly, by changing the law bit by bit, hop- ing we won't notice. This time, it's a proposal to protect doctors who don't re- port when a woman has taken an abortion pill. In other words, if a woman shows up at hospi- tal after taking pills to end her pregnancy, doctors won't be ex- pected to say anything. They want silence. They want complicity. They want abortion without calling it abortion. Let's not be fooled. The current law protects life. And that matters. Because life is there from the very beginning. Science is crystal clear on this— life begins at conception. That's not a matter of opinion, reli- gion, or politics. It's basic biolo- gy. So let's not pretend we don't know what we're talking about here. When a woman takes the abortion pill, it ends the life of a human being; her unborn child. And that protection includes truth. When someone ends the life of another, especially the most vulnerable, we can't stay silent and pretend nothing hap- pened. But this proposed amendment does exactly that. It gives doc- tors the possibility to, not speak, not report and just look away. This isn't about compassion. This is about changing what's right and wrong… quietly, through the back door. Doctors are there to heal, not to hide. They're trusted with life, not silence. And the law should support truth, not de- ception. Let me be clear. Just because abortion is wrong doesn't mean we should treat women who go through it harshly. If a woman takes the abortion pill, it's often out of fear, pressure, loneliness, or despair. She needs help, not punishment. She deserves care, not judgement. We should of- fer her real support—physical, psychological, and emotional. Every woman should be treated with dignity. Always. But we don't help women by lying to them. And we don't fix pain by covering up the truth. If a baby dies because of an abortion pill, and some are ab- solved from saying so; is that justice? What kind of country do we become when we start treating the ending of life as a private matter, not a public concern? Let's be honest. If the govern- ment wants to legalise abor- tion, it should have the courage to face the people. Not push it through under the radar. But more than that; if abortion is wrong, we must say it clearly. Not with anger. But with con- viction. Because the law is there to protect what is right. Not to excuse what is wrong. Silence is not neutral. It's permission. And we cannot give permission to the killing of the most voice- less among us. Every time we look away, a hu- man being disappears and the world pretends it hasn't lost an- ything. But we have lost some- thing. We've lost someone. 8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 AUGUST 2025 NEWS / OPINION If the government wants to legalise abortion, it should have the courage to face the people. Not push it through under the radar. Abortion's backdoor: Don't let them fool you Mariana Debono Philosophy PhD candidate, poet and writer TWO villas being proposed in- stead of a seaside restaurant in Birżebbuġa would obscure an adjacent scheduled chapel, a planning officer has concluded, recommending refusal of the development. The recommendation is being made in a case officer report en- dorsed by the Planning Author- ity's Development and Manage- ment Directorate, whose task is to advise decision-making boards on whether develop- ments are in line with existing policies. The application was submitted by an employee of a company owned by Gozitan developer Jo- seph Portelli. The site earmarked for the vil- las is currently occupied by Al- fresco Pizzeria & Restaurant—a one-storey building with a large open-front terrace overlooking St George's Bay in Birżebbuġa. Although the site lies within the development zone, it is ad- jacent to the scheduled Chapel of St Joseph, which is listed as a Grade 1 monument, and a lodge scheduled as a Grade 2 monu- ment. The site also falls within the Urban Conservation Area of Birżebbuġa. The proposal foresees the demolition of the existing build- ing and terrace, excavation works to accommodate a base- ment level, and the construction of two detached villas on the 700sq.m site. Each villa would include a swimming pool and rise to two floors above street level. While this conforms to the height lim- itation established in the local plan, the case officer noted that it would have a negative impact on the adjacent scheduled prop- erties. "The proposal would take their outstanding prominence and obscure their visual character- istics and appearance," the case officer concluded. The development is deemed to be in breach of the Strategic Plan for Environment and De- velopment, which requires that development in Urban Conser- vation Areas be compatible with the existing character and urban design of the area. The Superintendence of Cul- tural Heritage also raised con- cerns that the proposal would impact the scheduled church, the adjacent historic buildings, and the surrounding UCA. The Planning Commission will now decide on the application based on the case officer's rec- ommendation. A final decision is set to be taken by the Planning Commission, chaired by Eliza- beth Ellul, on 27 August. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Case officer says no to Alfresco re-development The area as it is today and how it will look if the proposed development is granted permission. The chapel will be obscured by the new buildings.