‘Scapegoated’ doctors demand clarity on whether to report abortions
A police report made by a consultant, who is an obstetrician-gynaecologist, led to a woman being charged, convicted and given an 18-month jail term suspended for three years.
Doctors are calling for clear, written guidance on their legal obligations when a woman is admitted to hospital with a suspected abortion. The demand comes after a consultant was reportedly “scape-goated” for acting on what appears to have been incorrect legal advice that he was required to report the patient to the police.
The Voice for Choice, a coalition of pro-choice organisations in Malta, said the case “highlights the dangerous reality of keeping abortion within Malta’s criminal law”. “Crucially, there is no scientific or medical way to assess if a miscarriage occurred voluntarily or involuntarily,” the statement read. “By keeping abortion in the criminal code, the state is creating a situation where even women suffering from a miscarriage are now potential suspects in the eyes of the law.”
Lawyer Emma Portelli Bonnici, from Lawyers for Choice, went further, calling the legal ambiguity “dangerous”. “It undermines care, endangers patients and creates a chilling effect that discourages others from seeking help at all,” she said. The issue first emerged when Times of Malta revealed how four of the seven abortions reported to the police over the past decade were flagged by doctors at Mater Dei Hospital.
SOURCE: Times of Malta, by Claudia Calleja, 15 March 2026.
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Depenalisation of abortion is the very least we expect
The least our members of parliament can do is change the law and remove the possibility of a custodial sentence being handed down by the courts in abortion cases. This leader has repeatedly argued for the legalisation of abortion and its regulation as a healthcare matter. Pregnant women should have the choice to make decisions on their life, their health and wellbeing as they deem fit. And that includes the choice to terminate their pregnancy.
We contend that every woman should have the right to terminate her pregnancy for whatever reason up to the point of the fetus’s viability outside the womb. Furthermore, at any stage of the pregnancy, the woman should have the choice to terminate her pregnancy if her life is on the line. Not everyone will make these choices but for those who want to, the option should be accessible, safe and legal.
SOURCE: Malta Today, 15 March 2026.