In response, several politicians – including Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rebecca Buttigieg, PL MEP Daniel Attard, independent MP Clayton Bartolo, and PL MPs Ramona Attard and Rosianne Cutajar – took to social media to say women deserve “compassion not courtrooms” and that a discussion on protecting women should be had.

But actions speak louder than posts. In 2023, all of the above – with the exception of Attard (who’s an MEP) and Cutajar (absent at the time as an independent MP) – voted in favour of a stricter abortion law. And in the two years since, none of them have tabled a private member’s bill to ease the law – something every MP has the power to do.

Some may argue that after 2023, it’s clear such a bill would not pass. But proposing it would still matter – it would show intent, push for debate, and offer hope to women who are watching in fear.

Even the Health Minister has since said he was “shocked” by the court’s decision. He responded by calling for changes to the Professional Secrecy Act – the law that currently allows doctors to report patients if they believe a crime has been committed.

But that alone isn’t enough. If the real concern is that women are too afraid of punishment to seek medical help, then the solution isn’t just to close one reporting loophole. It’s to remove the punishment altogether. Because the problem isn’t just how women are being reported – it’s that they’re being harshly penalised in the first place.

While I personally agree with decriminalisation, I understand that may not happen any time soon. But there’s still a middle ground: reform the law so that abortion is punished but not with a prison sentence.

“Let’s Have A Discussion”

One thing that specifically irked me in the politicians’ statements, is the call for a “discussion”. But that discussion is already happening – on social media, around dinner tables, in bars, in hospitals. The only place it’s missing is in Parliament.

Calls for “dialogue” sound like a stalling tactic – a way to avoid taking a position. And while representing voters is part of an MP’s role, leadership is about more than mirroring public opinion. Sometimes it’s about moving it.

So consider this a call to action for every MP who claims to be outraged or heartbroken by this case: propose a private member’s bill that reduces the penalty for abortion. Or, if you truly believe women shouldn’t be punished at all, propose decriminalisation.

Until you do that, your disappointment should be directed at yourselves; not at the courts, or health professionals.

Malta is tired of performative politics: of outrage on Instagram instead of action in Parliament. These statements, without follow through, are showboating. We’ve seen it with the government’s year-long delay in recognising Palestine – long after Gaza was flattened. We’ve seen it in the lack of a solution to spiralling homelessness.

If you truly believe abortion should be a criminal offence, say so. If you don’t – do something about it.