Miss Universe Malta 2023 has called for abortion to be made legal on a “case by case” basis in lieu of any other proper options for pregnant women who want to terminate a pregnancy.

“As a country, if we’re having this conversation about whether abortion should be legal or not, I think the first thing we should do is being able to make contraceptives accessible and free,” Maxine Formosa Gruppetta told Lovin Malta in a new interview ahead of Miss Universe 2023 to be held in New Orleans, USA, later this month.

“And once those things become more accessible for the nation, I think abortion should be legal on a case by case basis.”

Formosa Gruppetta called out decision makers attempting to sway options offered to young women.

“I don’t think anybody should stand there and make a decision for somebody else, as if you have any idea of what that person is going through,” she said. “I read articles and I hear about people who are sick and pregnant and cannot get access to medicine and cannot get access to abortion…”

“You cannot offer your population no choice of options… I myself don’t agree with it, but I very much believe it should be legal.”

Watch the full interview here: