Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela is proposing a legislative amendment to the Professional Secrecy Act that would prevent doctors from reporting women who have undergone abortions unless the patient gives explicit consent. The change follows the controversial case of a woman who received a suspended 22‑month prison sentence after admitting to taking abortion pills. Abela expressed serious concerns that fear of prosecution is deterring some women from seeking necessary medical care.
Currently, doctors in Malta may report a patient’s abortion without mandatory consent, a legal loophole that critics argue undermines patient confidentiality and endangers health outcomes. Under the proposed amendment, medical professionals would only be permitted to report such cases if the patient agrees. Abela emphasised that the amendment would not decriminalise abortion, nor relax the law itself, but instead aim to save lives by removing barriers to medical help.
SPUC welcomes the intent to preserve medical confidentiality and safeguard women’s health, but emphasises that such legal changes must not undermine protections for unborn life.
SPUC argues that reforms of this nature must not be misinterpreted as a softening of Malta’s longstanding abortion prohibition and highlight that Malta remains one of the most protective nations globally when it comes to unborn life. SPUC insist that any legal evolution should continue to affirm the unborn child’s inherent dignity and value.
Genuine compassion requires both respect for women’s physical well‑being and defence of unborn children. They argue that promoting greater access to prenatal healthcare, crisis pregnancy support and counselling services are more appropriate avenues for policy-makers to pursue.
The proposed amendment must strike a fine balance both protecting women medically, while preserving Malta’s commitment to the sanctity of life. However, caution must be taken around legislative framework that will be essential to avoid setting a precedent for future attempts to erode abortion legislation. Mental health and maternal care must always be accompanied by robust protections for unborn life.
As Malta navigates this sensitive proposal, SPUC calls on lawmakers to ensure that any legal change maintains the rights of unborn child alongside proper care for women. Providing medical confidentiality should never put the unborn child at risk. Legal clarity, compassionate care, and respect for both mother and child must remain fundamental to Maltese policy.
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