Malta proposes bill to ease EU's strictest anti-abortion law
Malta’s government has introduced legislation to ease the European Union’s strictest anti-abortion law and allow the procedure in cases where the mother’s life or health is at risk
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) — Malta’s government introduced proposed legislation Monday to ease the European Union’s strictest anti-abortion law and allow the procedure in cases where the mother’s life or health is at risk.
The move comes after a headline-grabbing case involving an American tourist who miscarried and was airlifted off the Mediterranean island to get treatment.
The overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Malta is the only one of the EU's 27 nations that still prohibits abortion for any reason, with laws making it a crime punishable by up to three years in prison to have the procedure or up to four years to assist a woman in having an abortion. The law, however, is rarely enforced, with the last known case of someone being jailed dating from 1980.
The ruling Labour Party bill introduces a new clause into the country’s criminal code allowing for the termination of a pregnancy if the mother’s life is at risk or if her health is in serious jeopardy. Performing an abortion in such cases would no longer be considered a crime.
