A petition in Italy has collected enough signatures to make politicians consider a referendum on a pro-life law requiring women to hear their unborn child’s heartbeat before going through with an abortion.
The petition, which gained 106,000 signatures, twice the number required to trigger a process that could lead to a referendum, was launched by Pro Vita & Famiglia, whose headquarters in Rome was recently attacked by pro-abortion militants. Protesters attacked the office with stones, bottles, smoke bombs, and even Molotov cocktails, as reported by SPUC.
The pro-life group wants to change the law to require mothers seeking an abortion to first see their unborn baby on an ultrasound as well as listen to their foetal heartbeat. Hungary introduced a similar abortion requisite last year.
A foetal heartbeat begins around three weeks and one day after fertilisation, and the heart typically beats between 105 and 121 times by four weeks.
In Italy, abortion is permitted for up to 90 days, after which it may only take place if the mother’s life is at risk or if the unborn baby has a congenital malformation. Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, has previously stated that she a pro-life, though it is so far unknown if she would back the proposed law change.
In 2021, pro-life entrepreneur Anton Krecic founded a coffee company in which 10% of proceeds help mothers hear their babies’ heartbeats for the first time. Ultrasounds save lives, said Krecic, “because that’s the No. 1 tool used for when women choose life for their babies”.
“One step towards truth”
SPUC’s Michael Robinson, Executive Director (Public Affairs and Legal Services), said: “The abortion industry dehumanises the unborn child at every opportunity because it knows mothers are much more likely to reject abortion when their unborn child is shown to be an actual life and not just a collection of cells.
“Seeing a baby on an ultrasound and hearing their heartbeat for the first time is, of course, a pivotal moment in a pregnancy, when the life of an unborn baby is no longer abstract but real. That abortion ideologues seek to cover up that truth says a lot about their true motivations.
“Whether or not Italian politicians allow the referendum to go ahead, this petition is one step towards truth and the defence of life, and it shows just what can be achieved by collective action.”
SPUC Petition – Reject Illiberal Buffer Zones in Scotland
SPUC has launched a new petition calling on Humza Yousaf to reject illiberal buffer zones in Scotland. All SPUC supporters, and anyone else, are encouraged to add their name to the petition – please Take Action and CLICK HERE.