Maltese Health Minister Chris Fearne published a bill on Monday relaxing the island’s strict abortion bans, allowing termination of pregnancy if the life of the mother or child is in danger.
The end of the last outright ban on abortion in the European Union has been hailed by pro-abortion activists as a victory for women’s rights, although it is still incomplete.
“This is a long-awaited step forward for women in Malta,” Désirée Attard, an activist and lawyer specializing in the defense of human rights in Malta, told AFP.
No provision for rape or incest
Currently, doctors who perform abortions face up to four years in prison and a lifetime ban from practicing. According to this bill, which has not yet been approved by parliament, an abortion will be legal if “it is aimed at protecting the health of a pregnant woman who suffers from a medical complication that may seriously endanger her life or her health.” “.
“For the first time we have a bill that recognizes the archaism of our legal framework and tries to modify it, even slightly,” commented Désirée Attard.
But Dr. Isabel Stabile, a member of the NGO “Doctors for Choice”, regrets “that there is still no provision that allows the termination of pregnancy in case of rape, incest or fatal abnormality of the fetus.”
Source: BFM TV
