The government’s amended abortion bill has passed through Parliament’s committee stage with unanimous support from all MPs present, despite appeals by pro-choice activists for the bill which had initially been proposed to be reinstated.
The amendments to the bill, which seeks to change Malta’s Criminal Code, were presented last week, with the government changing several controversial elements of its first proposal in an act which drew praise from pro-life lobbies, and scorn from pro-choice lobbies.
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VALLETTA, June 23 (Reuters) – Malta’s government on Friday backed down on a bill which would have allowed the abortion of pregnancies when the mother’s health was at serious risk, saying instead that terminations would only be allowed when the mother’s life was in danger.
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Revised amendments to Malta’s abortion laws have sparked contrasting reactions
Pro-life activists have welcomed changes made by the government to a proposed amendment to the Criminal Code that will allow for the termination of a pregnancy in select circumstances.
Health Minister Chris Fearne announced the revised wording of amendments on Friday morning.
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On this week’s episode of The Van Maren Show, Jonathon speaks with Dr. Miriam Sciberras, leader of the Life Network Foundation Malta, about the outpouring of pro-life support as lawmakers debate a bill to legalize abortion, the domestic and foreign pressure to upend Malta’s culture of life, and why she thinks abortion is the foremost human rights issue of all time.
18/2/ 2023
Statement issued by the Coalition Int Tista Ssalvani: With whom is the Government consulting?
The Coalition Int Tista’ Ssalvani and the Group of 80 Experts and supported actively by over 25,000 petitioners, are being ignored.
According to media reports of comments made by the Minister for Health yesterday, Government will be holding meetings on the abortion bill with a “wide array” of stakeholders till next week or the following.
The PM has also been quoted as saying that Government will meet with everyone to understand the main concerns and fears presented by the amendment and to understand any concerns about how it can be abused.
The Inti Tista’ Ssalvani coalition wrote to the Prime Minister on 1st December 2022 to ask for “an urgent meeting”, but is yet to receive a reply.
Read full press release here.
28/1/ 2023
PBS censorship of the President of Malta when speaking against abortion.
Life Network Foundation, Doctors for Life and I See Life, on behalf of the Inti Tista’ Ssalvani coalition, the leading campaign against the introduction of abortion in Malta, wrote to PBS and the Broadcasting Authority in regard to the Broadcasting Act. The coalition is complaining about the censorship carried out by PBS, in the news service that appeared on TVM on 26th January 2023, about what His Excellency The President of the Republic of Malta said in commemoration of the Holocaust.
Read full press release here.
As part of Life Week, LNF announced the opening of a new Central Distribution Hub for Mothers and Babies in need.
Listen to an explanation below and read the press release here:
Nicole was in her late twenties. She already had two children and was going through a difficult period of life, while pregnant with her third child. She had started using drugs and she seemed to be in danger of addiction when she discovered she was pregnant. Unfortunately, her family didn’t want to support her when she discovered this news and pressurised her into having an abortion. Due to her habit of using drugs, she was being supported by a lot of services, and although she had a lot of pressure to abort her baby, she remained unsure. She called Lifeline for help and a counsellor went to meet her. Then she came to realise that, with support, she would be able to create a life for herself and her three children. Life Line was also able to help her by patching up the broken relationship with her family. They were able to speak to her parents about her positive decision and this too helped Nicole go forward with her life. Knowing that her family would be there for her and her children made a big difference to Nicole. Life Line was also able to provide support to her family and in this way, Nicole was able to stay in her family home. Her pregnancy was without complications and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, surrounded and supported by her whole family. However, unfortunately, soon after the baby was born, she had a relapse. In order to resolve this situation, she then decided to commence an official rehabilitation programme to save-guard her third children. And at this point she also decided to enter the maternity home with her 3 children. Once she had been able to clean her herself up, she moved out to an apartment; she was able to pay for her housing on her own, through the paid work that she was doing. In this way, she moved away from addiction to an independent single mum, supporting herself and her 3 children. We are so glad that she is doing well and remains so grateful that she didn’t abort her child. We remain in touch and support her in any way that she requires. Sometimes we catch up with a chat over coffee.
Nicole kienet fl-aħħar ta’ l-għoxrin sena. Diġà kellha żewġt itfal u kienet għaddejja minn perjodu diffiċli tal-ħajja, waqt li kienet tqila bit-tielet wild tagħha. Bdiet tuża d-droga u dehret li kienet fil-periklu tal-vizzju meta skopriet li kienet tqila. Sfortunatament, il-familja tagħha ma appoġġjawhiex meta skopriet din l-aħbar u għamlitha pressjoni biex tagħmel abort. Minħabba d-drawwa li tuża d-droga, kienet qed tiġi appoġġjata minn ħafna servizzi, u għalkemm kellha ħafna pressjoni biex tabortixxi lit-tarbija tagħha, baqgħet inċerta. Cemplet lil Lifeline għall-għajnuna u konsulent min taghna mar jiltaqa’ magħha. Ilqajnijha b’imhabba kbira u hemm kien fejn indunat li bl-appoġġ kbir li konna qed noffrulha kienet se tkun kapaċi toħloq ħajja għaliha u t-tliet uliedha. Stajna ngħinuha wkoll billi tkellimna mal-ġenituri tagħha dwar id-deċiżjoni pożittiva tagħha u dan irnexxha wkoll ghax l-genituri taghha indunnaw li ahna konna qedghin hemm ghalijhom wkoll. Dan ukoll għen lil Nicole timxi ‘l quddiem b’ħajjitha, billi kienet taf li l-familja tagħha kienet se tkun hemm għaliha u għal uliedha. Stajna wkoll nagħtu appoġġ lill-familja tagħha u b’dan il-mod, Nicole setgħet tkompli tghix mal-familja tagħha. It-twelid tat-tarbija kien mingħajr kumplikazzjonijiet u Nicole welldet tarbija b’saħħitha, imdawra u appoġġjata mill-familja tagħha. Madankollu, sfortunatament, ftit wara li twieldet it-tarbija, hija kellha rikaduta ghad-droga. Ahna konna hemm ghalija wkoll u bl-ghajnuna taghna imbagħad iddeċidiet li tibda programm ta’ riabilitazzjoni mid-droga uffiċjali biex issalva lit-3 uliedha. Kien f’dan il-mument li iddeċidiet ukoll li tidħol fid-dar tal-maternità flimkien mat-3 uliedha. Wara li temmet b’success il-programm tar-riabilitazzjoni ghenijha issib appartament u xoghol. Marret f’appartament, li setgħet tħallas għalih waħedha permezz tax-xogħol li kienet tagħmel. B’dan il-mod, hija għaddiet biex tkun tista’ ssostni lilha nnifisha u lit-3 uliedha, bħala omm waħedha. Ninsabu ferħanin li sejra tajjeb u tant grati li ma abortitx lil binha. Ghadna f’kuntatt maghha u ghadna nappoġġjawha b’kull mod li Nicole teħtieġ. Mhux l-ewwel darba li imorru niltaqaw ma’ Nicole u 3 angli taghha u nghidu kelma waqt li niehdu kafè.
Kay is a 20 year old who already had a son aged 6 years old. Kay had been in a short-term relationship; however, it was not a stable relationship, and it was typically characterised by lots of arguments. One day the couple argued bitterly and her boyfriend asked her to go and get an abortion, then he broke her phone, threw all her belongings out onto the street and kicked her out too. A friend called Life Line to explain that Kay was in trouble and had nowhere to go. She was in a vulnerable state and needed help. We were able to make a place for her at the maternity home with her 6-year-old son. She spent all her pregnancy with us and we supported her with all her needs, including helping her to find a job and enlisting her for other support services available to her as a single mum. She spent a year with us and gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby. The first thing she said after the birth of her baby was “what was I going to do with my own hands!” She was so very thankful that we supported her through this difficult time of her life and that she hadn’t gone ahead with the abortion, but rather that she went on to have a healthy pregnancy and gave birth to this bundle of joy. Life Line have remained present in Kay’s life, even after the birth. She has been able to move into an apartment, while supporting herself and her two children. Even after a year has passed, she is doing well and still supporting herself and her two children. We remain in touch and support her in any way we can; even just for coffee, to keep social contact.
Kay hija żagħżugħa ta’ 20 sena li diġà kellha tifel ta’ 6 snin. Kay kienet f’relazzjoni għal żmien qasir, madankollu, ma kinitx relazzjoni stabbli, u tipikament mifruxa b’ħafna argumenti. Ġurnata waħda l-koppja argumentat bil- kbir u s-sieheb taghha talbitha biex tmur tagħmel abort. Waqt l-argument kisserilha l-mobile u tefalha l-affarijiet kollha tagħha barra fit-triq u keċċa lilha l-barra wkoll. Ħabiba taghha ċemplitna biex tispjega li Kay kienet fl-inkwiet u ma kellhiex fejn toghqod. Kay kienet fi stat vulnerabbli u kellha bżonn l-għajnuna. Tajnijha saqaf fuq rasha ghalijha u ghal binha, fid-dar tal-maternità tal-Mosta. Hija qattgħet it-tqala kollha tagħha magħna u aħna appoġġajnaha fil-bżonnijiet kollha tagħha, inkluż li ngħinuha biex issib impjieg u nqabbduha għal servizzi oħra ta’ appoġġ disponibbli għaliha bħala omm waħedha. Hadna hsieb lic-ckejken taghha meta kienet tmur ghal-appuntamenti l-isptar.Hija qattgħet sena magħna u welldet tarbija sabiħa u b’saħħitha. Waqt il-hlas ahna konna magha wkoll. L-ewwel ħaġa li qalet wara t-twelid tat-tarbija tagħha kienet “x’kont se nagħmel b’idi!” Kienet tant grata li sabet l-appogg taghna matul dan iż-żmien diffiċli ta’ ħajjitha u li ma kinitx kompliet bl-abort, iżda pjuttost li kienet kompliet bit-tqala. Bqajna preżenti fil-ħajja ta’ Kay, anke wara li kien nwasal iz-zmien li titlaq tghix fl- appartament il-gdid taghha. Kienet f’xoghol stabbli u seghtet ssostni lilha nfisha u liż-żewġ uliedha. Bqajna f’kuntatt u nappoġġjawha b’kull mod li nistgħu, anke għall-kafè mhux l-ewwel darba li morru sal lum il-gurnata.
