The prime minister of Malta has said that in-vitro fertilization (IVF) should eliminate problem babies, including the disabled. SPUC has condemned his campaign as “profoundly immoral” and rooted in eugenics.
Ahead of elections in Malta, Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that Malta’s IVF law does not go far enough in allowing genetic testing to eliminate babies with genetic disorders such as Down’s syndrome and gangliosidosis.
Earlier this month, Abela suggested that IVF be used to screen for genetic disorders and that such embryos be destroyed or surrendered to science following preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).
The Maltese prime minister has also been heard to say that a person cannot be pro-life and object to IVF.
But SPUC has repeatedly detailed the life-destroying cost of IVF. In 2017 alone, 174,622 embryos were discarded by IVF in the UK. The number of embryos destroyed between 1991 and 2017 numbered 2,753,560.
IVF has a failure rate of around 80%. Last year, the Competition and Markets Authority slammed the IVF industry in the UK for failing to disclose its hard reality, as reported by SPUC. Many couples have been left heartbroken, including actress Lisa Riley who has spoken out about the emotional cost of failure.
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “It is shocking to see a mainstream politician in a pro-life nation such as Malta campaign for eugenics and the weeding out of babies not deemed worthy of life.
“While any parent seeking to conceive should receive sympathy and support, turning to IVF, which destroys more life than it creates, is not the answer. It is certainly not pro-life.
“To further advocate that the disabled be rooted out and eliminated by IVF is profoundly immoral and harks back to some of the worst atrocities of the twentieth century.
“Let’s not repeat that sorry history. To be pro-life means standing up for all life, at any time, without exception.”
Similar stories
SPUC warns of the “human price tag” of IVF
The Expendables: Robert Winston and eugenics – but the embryo?
Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley reflects on the heartbreak of IVF