The proposed law presented by MP Marlene Farrugia is a blatant attempt to introduce abortion into Malta, allowing every pregnancy to be terminated by a mother or medical professional, and the baby in the womb destroyed, the Life Networkl Foundation said.
Life Network Foundation Malta objects very strongly to this bill proposing the decriminalization of abortion for several reasons:
1. The law has symbolic dimensions. Decriminalization of an act in itself, is a declaration that the act is permissable, and worse still, acceptable.
Abortion is not such an act because, as a consequence, the child in the womb loses its life. The proposal to repeal the abortion provisions means that abortion will no longer be considered a criminal offense. Historically, the criminal law against abortion has always had an instrumental value of deterrent so that abortion does not occur in Malta. It also means that anyone who commits this crime, or helps to commit this crime, is convicted according to the law (and therefore justice is done to the child who has never been given the opportunity to live), this law was, and still is, considered symbolic because it reflects a moral obligation - that of the protection of the unborn life.
2. The decriminalization of abortion not only leads to abortion no longer being considered a criminal offense, but to it being unregulated which easily leads to abuse because it becomes permissible (a) at any stage of pregnancy even on the eve of birth and (b) in all circumstances. In addition, doctors and nurses will be able to destroy the life of an unborn baby, as if nothing had happened and with complete freedom, and this is when, to this day, abortion is considered by many Maltese and foreign medical professionals to be against the ethical principles on which their profession is based and which bind medical professionals in their practice. Worse, the bill also repeals the provision criminalizing abortion caused by medical negligence or incompetence!
3. Everyone who was born once started life born in a mother's womb. It is now being proposed that this gift and privilege of life be denied to others. Every baby in the womb will be in danger of being destroyed, at any moment, by its parents or even just by its mother. It is significant that anyone who speaks in favour of abortion was born because his mother did not destroy him.
4. The fundamental right to life, enshrined in the Maltese Constitution, can never depend on the will of the mother. Maltese law also recognizes the unborn child as a recipient of certain civil rights. This bill will be causing an inconsistency between criminal and civil law. The bill also goes against the Embryo Protection Act which protects human life from conception, at its early stage.
5. No political party, much less an individual member of parliament, has an electoral mandate to introduce abortion in Malta today.
The right of choice that abortion proponents claim every pregnant woman has, is not a fundamental right but simply an idea that absolutely contradicts the fundamental right to life. The only option that is set aside and crushed by this bill is that of the unborn baby, who, because he has no voice and is weak and vulnerable, is exposed to abuse. That is not a "choice" but a destruction of human life.
Life Network Foundation Malta makes a strong appeal to the leaders of our country against the decriminalization of abortion. An appeal to continue to protect life, to fight against all threats to human life, and a promise to continue to offer and increase our services so that pregnant women can find all help. We want to be there for mothers during and after pregnancy, as long as is necessary.
Life Network Foundation Malta calls on all deputies in the House of Representatives to remain loyal to their principles, and to the mandate given to them by the people, and to choose life and not death.
So far two statements have emerged from political parties. The PN statement is clear and against the decriminalization of abortion. The PL, while reiterating that it is pro-life and anti-abortion, has not made a statement against its decriminalization. We hope that in the coming days such statements will become clearer in the interest of the protection of babies in the womb.