A judicial protest seeking change to abortion laws in Malta was presented today in court, signed by 135 doctors.

A statement issued by one of the signatories, Professor Isabel Stabile, said that last week, Malta failed Andrea Prudente (above), a US citizen, who visited Malta while pregnant.

Andrea became trapped here after her waters broke at 16 weeks. The placenta was detaching from her womb and no fluid was left, which meant there was no reasonable hope that the fetus would survive, the statement said.

She was also at risk of a life-threatening infection for as long as the pregnancy continued. Had this happened practically anywhere else but Malta, Prudente would have been given the option by doctors to terminate the pregnancy and safeguard her health. However, this cannot happen in Malta because abortion is illegal under all circumstances.

She could only continue the pregnancy under the watchful eyes of doctors and suffer the ongoing risk of infection. Flying to another country on a commercial flight was not an option due to the high risk of a medical emergency in-flight. Fortunately, her private insurance deemed the risks to Andrea’s life in Malta unacceptable and organised and facilitated transfer by air ambulance to another country that does not limit women’s right to health and life, the statement said.

This exact same medical scenario happens to an estimated two to three women per year in Malta. Most women living here do not have private insurance to help them evacuate to get their much-needed treatment abroad. Our laws are neglecting these women, risking their lives needlessly. Last week, Malta also failed a profession, the statement said.

Medical teams had their hands tied when they were unable to offer Prudente the care she needed, according to research-based evidence. Health professionals in the US advised Andrea to ask for a termination of pregnancy, but providing this care under current law would have put both woman and doctor liable to a prison sentence. Instead, legally mandated conservative management followed. Doctors in Malta refuse to accept this legal situation. Within just four days, 135 doctors have signed a judicial protest asking for a review of our blanket ban on abortion care. Among us are specialists in obstetrics and gynaecology, family medicine, psychiatry, paediatrics, and more. The overwhelming sentiment behind this demand is empathy.

Moreover, our responsibility towards our patients demands that we try to treat conditions before they become unstable and life-threatening. In cases of complicated pregnancy, abortion may be required to protect a woman’s physical and mental health. We are submitting this judicial protest to safeguard persons who may fall pregnant and the doctors taking care of them. Patients in Malta deserve access to the highest standards of medical care possible, in line with international recommendations such as those of the WHO, FIGO, and RCOG. We hope that laws created in 1850s will be reconsidered and updated to allow evidence-based practice, without condemning public citizens and their doctors to criminality, the statement said.