PN election candidate Emma Portelli Bonnici has forgiven a priest who publicly called her “Hitler, a satanist, a murderer, a butcher and a criminal” over her pro-choice views, and has withdrawn a complaint filed with police.
Her retraction came after the priest, Fr Andrew Borg, apologised on Facebook.
“Upon reading Fr Andrew Borg's apology, I have decided to retract the complaint I made in light of his egregious comments in my regard,” Portelli Bonnici wrote in another Facebook post.
“Through Fr Andrew's apology, I hope that perhaps we can move forward, and all be more enlightened in situations like this in the future. As people, we need to embrace the notion of empathy and understanding – even when we may disagree with one another,” she wrote.
The issue was sparked by a press conference on October 21 in which the young lawyer had said a PN government would provide free contraception and morning-after pills as part of a sexual health strategy it would deliver within six months of being elected.
During the same event, PN health spokesperson Stephen Spiteri was asked whether the PN would include abortion as part of the policy and he said abortion was a subject to be discussed in parliament. The PN was taking a stand to protect life from conception, he said.
Since then, Portelli Bonnici experienced a spiralling increase in hate speech addressed towards her. She has spoken openly about being pro-choice, saying that while she has no problem with people disagreeing with her, she cannot accept this harassment.
Instead, she exposed the harassment on Facebook where she chose to name and shame people who called her “satan’s spawn” and told her she "should not exist" and should "go get sterilised”. These comments included some posted by Fr Borg who removed them following the intervention of the Curia.
Portelli Bonnici had filed a police complaint. Subsequently, lawyer Matthew Brincat, representing Fr Borg, engaged in talks with her lawyers, Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri, to explore an amicable settlement that was eventually reached by both parties.
Fr Borg apologised on Facebook: "I sincerely apologise to Dr Portelli Bonnici for the comments posted by myself that were understood to have offended her human dignity and integrity.”
He said he remained firm in his belief that abortion was an act in breach of the fifth commandment but recognised in hindsight that she had made no comments in relation to abortion, even though the group of which he was a member on Facebook made it seem to as though that was indeed the case. "I realise that teaching ought to be done through understanding and patient dialogue and not through harsh words and personal attacks," he said.