- The Maltese government has said it will propose a change to its total ban on abortion.
- Under the proposed changes, doctors can terminate a pregnancy if the mother's life is at risk.
The Maltese government has said it will propose a change to its total ban on abortion, allowing doctors to terminate a pregnancy if the mother's life is at risk.
The Mediterranean island is the last country in the EU with a total ban.
The Times of Malta reports that Health Minister Chris Fearne has explained that a new clause will be proposed to terminate a pregnancy if it results from medical intervention needed to save the mother's life.
The proposed changes, however, will not allow for abortion in any other circumstances, including rape, incest, or severe fetal anomalies. Legislative amendments will be tabled in parliament next week, reported The Times of Malta.
The move comes after American woman Andrea Prudente nearly died on holiday in the country after being refused an abortion when her pregnancy put her life at risk.
Speaking from her hospital bed in Malta's Mater Dei Hospital at the time of the incident in June, Prudente told Insider how she'd gone on holiday with her partner Jay for a 'babymoon' to celebrate their pregnancy.
—Doctors for Choice Malta (@Drs4ChoiceMalta) November 16, 2022
However, Prudente's placenta detached at 16 weeks, making her pregnancy unviable and putting her at risk of a severe, life-threatening infection.
Nevertheless, Maltese doctors refused to clear Prudente's uterus as — due to the unviable fetus still having a heartbeat — the procedure would be viewed as an abortion, and the doctors involved could be jailed for up to four years.
Prudente eventually had to be airlifted to neighboring Spain, where she did have an abortion.
After the ordeal, Prudente announced that she would challenge the Maltese government in court, saying they violated her human rights by denying her an abortion.
At the time, she told Insider, "I received the message in no unclear terms that my life had less value than the hypothetical value of the life of my unviable baby, and that was really hard to stomach."
Saying that blanket bans on abortion "don't make sense and harm women very tangibly."
Prudente, from Seattle, Washington, declined to comment on the latest announcement proposing changes to the law, Maltese doctor Christopher Barbara and activist with Doctors for Choice told Insider, "it will allow doctors to deliver care in cases of obstetric emergencies according to international standards and will allow doctors to prioritize the lives of women."
But, he added, there are still no provisions to allow abortion in cases of rape or fatal fetal anomaly, and women will continue to be denied the right to choose to terminate unwanted pregnancies at all stages.
He said that Malta will still be the EU country with the most restrictive abortion laws even if the proposals become law.