A pro-choice activist was physically assaulted while conducting a campaign to raise awareness over Malta’s abortion laws, which are some of the strictest in the world.

“Shortly after she was interviewed, Prof Isabel Stabile was physically assaulted by a female individual. A police report has been filed and we have asked for the perpetrator to be prosecuted,” Doctors for Choice Malta wrote on social media.

“Thankfully, Prof Stabile did not sustain any injuries. We take such incidents extremely seriously to protect our activists.”

“From now on, we shall be providing our activists with body cams so they can better record such incidents in the future. We have zero-tolerance to violent behaviour and will report all such incidents to the police and request criminal prosecution.”

Stabile and other activists have been stationed alongside Triq Aldo Moro holding placards up to passing motorists.

Malta remains the only country in the EU with a full ban on abortion. Each year, an estimated 400 Maltese women have an abortion, despite the fact that it is illegal.

Marlene Farrugia presented a private members bill to decriminalise the practice during the last legislature. However, it has been ignored by the main political parties. 

Recently, Prime Minister Robert Abela said he wants to understand the pain of women who carry out abortions and condemned small party ABBA for reporting a group of pro-choice activists to the police.