Pro-Choice NGOs call for safe and legal abortion

On Sunday, pro-choice groups campaigned for legalising abortion in Malta. The activists were rallying for abortion to be recognised as an essential healthcare service.

A recent MaltaToday survey found a significant change in public opinion on abortion. 53.5% of people believe that women who have an abortion should not be sent to prison.

The number of people who agree with imprisonment dropped by 11 points. People under 36 showed the largest disagreement, with 71.1% against jailing women.

Andrea Prudente filed constitutional case

This shift in public opinion may have been influenced by the case of Andrea Prudente. The American woman suffered a partial miscarriage while on honeymoon in Malta.

Local laws denied Prudente a termination of her no longer viable pregnancy. The tourist had to be flown to Mallorca for treatment before infections develop.

Last week, Andrea Prudente initiated a human rights case against Malta’s abortion ban. Prudente is arguing that the Maltese government failed to provide safety and dignity.

The case was filed through her lawyer and women’s rights activist Lara Dimitrijevic.

“The fact that she actually did file the court case is the clear, affirmative sign that she is ready to take this all the way”, Dimitrijevic told Bonġu.

“She has gone through a lot of trauma, both herself and her partner, and is still struggling on a daily basis. Not so much with the termination of a very much wanted pregnancy, but more through the whole ordeal of the fear of being in a potential touch-and-go situation with her own life”, the women’s rights activist said.

Lara Dimitrijevic added that Andrea Prudente is ready to take the case, if needs be, all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

The reality of abortion in Malta

Pro-choice groups say it’s a known fact that women order abortion pills from abroad.

Several reputable organisations offer telemedicine services and safe shipment of pills to Malta. Activists say that at least 365 packages were shipped to Malta in 2021 – one per day.

Further information and assistance can be found on doctorsforchoice.mt.