Maltese laws should provide for an abortion in those instances where the life or health of the pregnant woman is in danger. Therefore the amendments presented in Parliament this week are a step in the right direction. However, these proposals are half-baked measures that fail to address current realities, ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons declared at a press conference in front of Parliament this morning.
ADPD Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said the party had laid out its proposal concerning therapeutic abortion, that is to protect the health and life of the pregnant woman, and that this should be safeguarded at law in order to allow the health professionals to do what is necessary in such extraordinary circumstances. However it seems that Government is only reacting to the negative reaction to the case of the American tourist Andrea Prudente.
In fact the Partit Laburista’s electoral manifest failed to mention abortion. On the other hand, ADPD has been insisting (vide motion attached) that Maltese law should permit an abortion in extraordinary circumstances where the health or life of the pregnant woman is in danger, as well as in the case of pregnancies arising out of violence (rape or incest), and in the case of strictly non-viable pregnancies.
“A woman who resorts to an abortion requires empathy, rather thanbeing considered as a criminal! Within this context we have campaigned for decriminalisation to enable women considering an abortion to seek assistance. Together with a stronger emphasis on sexual and reproductive health education across all levels of the education system, the discussion about abortion should reflect the ethical pluralism that we now have in our country which has led to the introduction of divorce, IVF (and the associated screening) as well as the recognition of LGBTIQ rights that ADPD has been insisting upon since its inception,” concluded Gauci.
ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that the proposal presented by Government in Parliament does not offer the opportunity for a mature discussion that is badly needed in our country.
It is a fact that Maltese abort. This is done by women who purchase pills online and self-administer without doctor’s consultation, with all the possible complications that this may entail. The number of the cases that are admitted to hospital because of this is not known. Abortion is also carried out at Mater Dei in those circumstances where the necessary action is taken to protect the life of women facing complications in their pregnancy.
Therapeutic abortion, that is to protect the health and life of the pregnant woman is already accepted in Maltese law. But this is not clear to all since there are no specific provisos that have been spelt out clearly. However fundamental legal principles do give this right. It is therefore desirable that the Maltese law that already allows therapeutic abortion is made clear. It is also evident that the majority of public opinion in Malta does accept abortion to safeguard a woman’s life. In discussion, many accept that in such circumstances abortion may be tolerated.
Other proposals presented by ADPD in the case of other extraordinary circumstances – as in the case of rape or incest and where the pregnancy is not viable – should be considered as a substantial improvement on the proposals presented in Parliament this week. “We believe that this will improve what has been presented by Government – half-baked measures that only react to the negative publicity from the Andrea Prudente case.”
“There is the need for the current legislation, that reflect Malta of 160 years ago, are updated to match the progress that has taken place in the medical and scientific fields along the years. A mature debate should consider how the circumstances that would permit medical intervention to safeguard the life and health of the mother are defined in the most clear manner possible. We augur that the proposals presented in Parliament this week offer an opportunity for a debate that goes beyond the limitations in the government’s proposals”, concluded Cacopardo.
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Proposti ta’ nofs kedda dwar tibdil fil-leġiżlazzjoni dwar l-abort
Huwa xieraq li l-liġi Maltija tipprovdi għal abort f’dawk il-każi fejn il-ħajja jew is-saħħa tal-mara tqila tkun fil-periklu. Għalhekk l-emendi imressqa fil-Parlament din il-ġimgħa huma pass fid-direzzjoni t-tajba. Madankollu, il-proposti imressqa huma nofs kedda għaliex jonqsu milli jindirizzaw b’mod sħiħ ir-realtajiet tal-lum. Dan qaluh il-kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party meta indirizzaw konferenza stampa quddiem il-Parlament dalgħodu.
Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD, Sandra Gauci, qalet li l-partit issa ilu li ħabbar il-proposti tiegħu (ara mozzjoni annessa) fejn jidħol l-abort terawpetiku, jiġifieri l-abort biex tkun protetta s-saħħa u l-ħajja tal-mara, u li dan għandu jitħares bil-liġi biex ma jżommx lill-professjonisti milli jagħmlu dak li hu meħtieġ f’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi straordinarji. Madankollu jidher li f’dan il-każ il-Gvern qiegħed jirreaġixxi biss għal reazzjoni negattiva li kien hawn fil-każ tat-turista Amerikana Andrea Prudente.
Tant hu hekk li l-manifest elettorali tal-Partit Laburista ma semma xejn dwar l-abort. Għal kuntrarju, ADPD – The Green Party ilu jisħaq li l-liġi Maltija għandha tipprovdi għal abort f’ċirkustanzi straordinarji f’dawk il-każi fejn is-saħħa jew il-ħajja tal-mara tqila tkun fil-periklu, kif ukoll fil-każ ta’ tqala riżultat ta’ vjolenza (stupru u inċest), u fil-każ ta’ tqala li strettament ma tkunx vijabbli.
“Mara li tirrikorri għall-abort, empatija għandha bżonn u mhux li tkun ikkunsidrata bħala kriminali. F’dan il-kuntest dejjem insistejna li dekriminalizzazzjoni tgħin biex iktar nisa li jagħżlu l-abort ifittxu l-għajnuna. Flimkien ma’ emfasi akbar fuq l-edukazzjoni dwar is-saħħa sesswali u riproduttiva fil-livelli kollha tas-sistema edukattiva, id-diskussjoni dwar l-abort għadha tirrifletti il-pluraliżmu etiku li llum jirrenja f’pajjiżna u li ippermetta l-introduzzjoni tad-divorzju, l-IVF (inkluż l-iscreening assoċjat)u r-rikonoxximent tad-drittijiet LGBTIQ li ADPD – The Green Party ilu jisħaq fuqhom sa mit-twaqqif tiegħu,” temmet Gauci.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo qal li l-proposta mressqa mill-Gvern fil-Parlament ma toffrix opportunità għal diskussjoni matura li tant neħtieġu f’dan il-pajjiż.
Fost il-Maltin l-abort isir. Jagħmluh n-nisa li jixtru pilloli online u jeħduhom mingħajr ma jikkonsultaw tabib, bil-kumplikazzjonijiet kollha possibli li jistgħu jirriżultaw. Ma teżistix statistika dwar kemm minnhom jidħlu l-isptar bħala riżultat ta’ dan. L-abort isir ukoll fl-isptar Mater Dei f’ċirkustanzi fejn tittieħed azzjoni biex tkun imħarsa l-ħajja ta’ nisa tqal li jiffaċċjaw kumplikazzjonijiet fit-tqala.
L-abort terrapewtiku, jiġifieri l-abort biex tkun protetta s-saħħa jew il-ħajja tal-mara hu diġa aċċettat mil-liġi Maltija. Imma dan mhux ċar għal kulħadd għax ma jirriżultax minn provedimenti miktuba tal-liġi. Jirriżulta imma b’mod ġenerali minn prinċipji fundamentali legali. Għalhekk ikun għaqli jekk il-liġi Maltija li diġa tippermetti l-abort terapewtiku tkun ċara għal kulħadd. Hu ċar li l-opinjoni pubblika f’Malta, fil-parti l-kbira taċċetta l-abort meta dan hu meħtieġ biex iħares il-ħajja tal-mara. Meta tiddiskuti, bosta jaslu biex jaċċettaw li l-abort f’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi hu tollerabbli.
Il-proposti imressqa mill-ADPD fejn jidħlu ċirkustanzi oħra straordinarji – dak ta’ stupru u inċest kif ukoll f’każijiet ta’ tqala li ma jkunux vijabbli – huma ta’ min jikkunsidrahom ukoll biex itejjeb ferm dawk il-proposti imressqa fil-Parlament din il-ġimgħa. Aħna jidhrilna li dan ikun ta’ titjib fuq dak li ġie mressaq mill-Gvern – proposti ta’ nofs kedda li jirreaġixxu biss għal pubbliċita’ negattiva li kellu pajjiżna mill-każ ta’ Andrea Prudente.
“Hemm bżonn li l-liġijiet eżistenti, li għadhom jirriflettu lil Malta ta’ 160 sena ilu, jiġu aġġornati mal-progress li sar fil-qasam mediku u xjentifiku tul is-snin. Dibattitu matur għandu jikkonsidra kif iċ-ċirkostanzi li fihom jistgħu jsiru interventi mediċi biex tiġi imħarsa il-ħajja u s-saħħa tal-mara jkunu definiti bl-aktar mod ċar. Nawguraw li l-proposti imressqa fil-Parlament din il-ġimgħa joffru opportunità biex ikun hemm dibattitu aktar wiesgħa mill-limitazzjonijiet fil-proposti imressqa,” temm jgħid Cacopardo.
