Abortion Sentence Sparks Political Outcry Over Fears That Women Scared To Seek Medical Help
A court decision to issue a suspended prison sentence to a woman who had an abortion has prompted criticism from a number of politicians.
“Rather than discussing people wearing tangas in the street, it would be better to discuss how we can protect women who seek treatment at Mater Dei without fearing that they will be taken to court,” PL MP Rosianne Cutajar said.
“I understand that the court did its job but it concerns me that we’re still reading about these cases in 2025. The message we are sending women is that they should suffer at home in silence and risk their own health. It is clear that we need clear and humane guidelines that safeguard women’s dignity, privacy and health.”
Independent MP and former minister Clayton Bartolo raised a number of questions.
Besides discouraging women who had an abortion from seeking medical help, Bartolo warned that it is also discouraging their relatives from seeking psychological assistance.
“How can we ever remove the stigma if, in 2025, certain frivolous issues are considered more important than women’s health?” he asked.
“How can we ever take mental health seriously if, as a society, we aren’t capable of discussing the changes we really need to take care of people seeking help?”
PL MEP Daniel Attard also weighed in.
“Regardless of whether you agree with abortion or not, what sense does it make to force doctors to report women, often vulnerable, who have already gone through it? They need support, not condemnation.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg also spoke out, stating that women who have an abortion deserve compassion and help, without risk of facing court proceedings.
However, no politician has yet outright called for a change in the law, other than ADPD, which said that abortion should be decriminalised.