Parliament on Tuesday has unanimously passed a bill which criminalises virginity testing on women and girls in Malta through the second reading stage in Parliament.

The bill was tabled for its second reading by Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms and Equality Rebecca Buttigieg last week, and states that virginity testing is sexual violence against women, and has no scientific base or value.

The amendment ensures a prison sentence of between a year and five years for those found guilty of helping, having encouraged, gave advice or forced a girl or woman to undergo virginity testing, irrespective of whether the woman has declared consent for this to happen.