‘Do You Have No Shame?’ – PL MP Rips Into Mental Health Sceptics Of Abortion Bill
PL MP Randolph Debattista hit out at academics, activists and PN politicians who have insisted that abortion shouldn’t be permitted to women whose mental health is in danger.
“Do some people have no shame?” Debattista questioned last night during a parliamentary debate on the abortion amendment bill. “They told us that they’re ready to accept that a woman should be rescued if her physical health is in danger but if her mental health is.”
“How is this possible in 2022 when we should have learned so much about mental health, when we hear so many buzzwords about how important it is to take care of our mental health, and how failing to do so could lead to potentially fatal consequences?”
“How is it possible that some people still place mental health on a lower rung than physical health? How do some people have the gall to cast doubt and give the impression that everyone will suddenly use mental health as an excuse to terminate their pregnancies?”
“Those who use those arguments should be ashamed of themselves.”
The bill will allow doctors to terminate pregnancies if they have reason to believe the mother’s life is at risk or her health is in grave jeopardy.
However, a group of 81 academics and journalists recently urged the government to amend the bill to clarify that this should only apply when the mother’s physical health, as opposed to her mental health, is in jeopardy.
A number of PN politicians have also taken on this position, with MP Rebekah Borg warning that mental health is being used as an “excuse” to decriminalise abortion.
PN MP Rebekah Borg warned mental health is being used as an “excuse” to decriminalise abortion
Debattista warned that people making these arguments have “no idea what they’re talking about”.
“How can we be so insensitive to people going through mental health problems and cast doubt on people with suicidal thoughts?” he questioned.
“Until a year ago, all these politicians, bishops, priests and academics were on the frontline clapping for health professionals and front-liners. Now they’re practically sending a subtle message that psychiatrists will start dishing out certificates and diagnoses rashly so that people can terminate their pregnancies.”
“These arguments leave you stunned and you wonder whether the people making them ever leave their desks all day and know what’s happening in our society.”
Debattista said he was stunned at arguments posed so soon after the murder of Bernice Cassar (pictured)
“These arguments are solely posed to sow fear, the same tactics of fear and intimidation that we had seen during the divorce campaign.”
Debattista said he was angry that these arguments were made on the heels of the murder of Bernice Cassar, which prompted a wave of national support for women suffering from domestic violence.
“Surely Malta could take first prize for coming up with buzzwords. Everyone wrote and expressed solidarity with women passing through tough moments and everyone said they were in favour of protecting women. However, when it came to the crunch, it all got retracted. Sometimes I can’t even believe what I’m listening to or reading.”
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