Maltese lawmakers vote to legalize abortion, but only where the mother is at risk of death

Source: Associated Press

Maltese lawmakers vote to legalize abortion, but only where the mother is at risk of death

BY KEVIN SCHEMBRI ORLAND
Published 10:31 AM EDT, June 28, 2023

VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Maltese lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation to ease the strictest abortion laws in the European Union, but pro-choice campaigners had withdrawn their support, saying last-minute changes make the legislation “vague, unworkable and even dangerous.”

The original bill allowing women access to abortion if a pregnant woman’s life or health is in danger was hailed as a step in the right direction for Malta, an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic nation. It was introduced last fall after an American tourist who miscarried had to be airlifted off the Mediterranean island nation to be treated.

Under the amendments, however, a risk to health is not enough. A woman must be at risk of death to access an abortion, and then only after three specialists consent. The legislation approved Wednesday allows a doctor to terminate a pregnancy without further consultation only if the mother’s life is at immediate risk.

Thousands of Maltese protested against the law during demonstrations in December. The governing Labor Party, which submitted the original bill, supported the amendments, while the opposition swung in support after the changes.

The Voices for Choice Coalition Malta last week withdrew its support for the bill, calling the amendments “a betrayal.”

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/malta-abortion-rights-a5cf505917178cde19adf292ce43ce7c