The visit of abortion doctor Rebecca Gomperts to Malta was a seemingly unpopular affair, as an audience at a public talk she delivered at a Valletta hotel yesterday evening was outnumbered by a sizeable pro-life crowd that gathered outside in protest.

Dr Gomperts is project director of a pro-choice, non-profit organisation, Women on Waves. She was invited by the Alpha Liberal Democratic Reformist Political Party, spearheaded by self-proclaimed intellectual revolutionary Emmy Bezzina.

Pro-life movement Gift of Life organised a silent protest, urging people to simply hold a red candle as a sign of their anti-abortion stand.

However, the demonstration began on a different note to what organisers had planned, as “protestors” outside Castille Hotel, where Dr Gomperts was to deliver her talk, recited the rosary aloud while holding red candles and posters carrying anti-abortion messages.

Medical doctor Pierre Schembri Wismayer, who joined the silent protest with his wife and toddler, expressed his frustration that what was meant to be a silent protest had turned into a religious meeting.

“This has nothing to do with religion. Abortion is wrong, but that has nothing to do with religion. From a medical point of view, it is a fact that life begins at conception,” said Dr Schembri Wismayer.

Gift of Life leader Paul Vincenti was also surprised that the people who turned up for the demonstration had resorted to an impromptu, spontaneous outbreak of prayer. He waited till the rosary was over and appealed to the crowd to continue praying in silence.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Mr Vincenti said the movement was appealing to the government and the opposition to get together and understand that people want assurance, especially from the opposition.

“Dr Sant has still not taken a position on this. Whether you’re in favour or against, discuss it in Parliament. Not taking a position is upsetting people and creating a lot of uncertainty”, Mr Vincenti said.

“For the sake of the unborn child, take a public stand on this. Why have you not taken a decision? Do we need to keep asking why?”

Mr Vincenti explained that according to surveys carried out by Gift of Life, 86 to 88 per cent of the population wants the amendment to the Constitution, which would give the right to life of the unborn child.

“All we want are two additional words in the Constitution: “from conception”. We do not agree with Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg’s suggestion to extract the law on abortion and incorporate it in the Constitution. We want politicians to take a position and discuss the issue in Parliament.”

Meanwhile, although Mr Vincenti had been planning to attend the abortion doctor’s public talk, which was scheduled to begin at 9.30pm, about 15 minutes before he announced to the crowd that only a handful of people had turned up for the talk.

He told the crowd he decided not to be present for the talk after all, saying Gift of Life had nothing else to say to Dr Gomperts. In fact, the protestors left the capital city soon after, symbolically placing their red candles at the foot of the steps of the imposing Auberge de Castille, housing the prime minister’s office.

On the fifth floor of Castille Hotel, on the other hand, Dr Gomperts spoke about the fact that Malta is an extreme exception, since it is the only country in the EU where abortion is illegal under any circumstance, even if to save a mother’s life.

The only other two EU member states where abortion is illegal, but legal under certain ‘special’ circumstances, are Poland and Ireland.

During a press conference held earlier yesterday morning, Dr Gomperts said that abortion is one of the safest medical procedures that can be carried out.

Introducing her, Dr Bezzina said it was unfortunate that certain institutions had tried to stop the event from taking place, adding that this would have been against the democratic principles of the country.

Dr Gomperts explained that she had been working as an abortionist doctor for around 10 years and that “the more I worked in this field, the more I understand the controversy.”

She said that she understood that abortion was a very hot issue and that it had been discussed in the press before but added that she wanted to try and show a different aspect to abortion.

Dr Gomperts explained that the abortion clinic, Women on Waves, visits countries where abortion is illegal.

“Some people feel that this impinges on the authority of the state where we are – we believe that we are part of a democratic process,” she said.

She pointed out that, in Malta, abortion is illegal even if a woman is raped or if her life is at risk. “As a mother I wonder how I would react if my daughter was raped and becomes pregnant in a country where there is no possibility to have an abortion,” she said.

However, said Dr Gomperts, “we are part of a democratic process and we want to raise the issue”.

Fifty per cent of women who have an abortion already have children – these are statistics, said Dr Gomperts.

Around 20,000 children every year become motherless because women are dying from illegal abortions, she said.

Malta is one of the three countries in Europe where abortion is illegal apart from Poland and Ireland – the rest of Europe has legalised abortion, she explained.

However, she added, it does not mean that abortion does not take place – women travel to England or Sicily to have abortions.

“This is discrimination against these women,” said Dr Gomperts. Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures that exists – it is even safer than using Viagra. “Giving birth is very dangerous and forcing a woman to give birth is forcing her to risk her life,” she said.

Dr Gomperts explained that there are two types of abortion: the abortion pill and surgical abortion. “A woman takes a pill and takes another pill 24 hours later and then she has a miscarriage – it is a very safe method,” she said.

Surgical abortion removes the foetus through vacuum extraction, she added. Dr Gomperts called on the Maltese government to respect women’s decisions.

“Only a woman who is in the situation knows that she wants – nobody can take this decision for anyone else,” she said.

When asked by The Malta Independent if any women who had an abortion ever regretted this decision, especially since pro-life groups focus on the emotional aspect of the procedure, Dr Gomperts said that post abortion trauma does not exist.

“At least 15 per cent of women suffer from post-natal depression and the majority of women are relieved that they had an abortion,” she said.

Dr Gomperts said that she has not given up on Malta, even though it is a Catholic country.

“There are people who need a different belief and these need to be listened to,” she said.

After the press conference, she was approached by Mr Vincenti who told her that even though Gift of Life and Women on Waves believe that they are both helping women, their approach was different.