The couple whose pregnancy ordeal prompted a bill to amend Malta’s blanket abortion ban have described the revised changes to the law as “empty and heartless”.
“The language in the law is empty and heartless… the new law wouldn’t have changed anything for us. We read it, and asked each other: will this actually help anybody? It seems purely political, and not intended to result in better outcome,” Jay Weeldreyer and his partner Andrea Prudente told Times of Malta in a joint statement.
“The perspectives which are preventing a more compassionate treatment of pregnant women at risk are cruel and enraging.”
Prudente had to be airlifted to Spain last year after doctors refused to end her non-viable pregnancy when she suffered the symptoms of a miscarriage at 16 weeks while on holiday in Gozo.
The only thing more horrific than being in this situation is knowing the majority of people in Malta believe this is the right thing to do- Andrea Prudente and Jay Weeldrayer
Her case made global headlines and triggered moves by the government to amend the law.
But the planned amendment, which proposed allowing pregnancies to be terminated in cases where a woman’s health was in “grave jeopardy”, was last week narrowed to situations that “can lead to death”. It was passed unanimously in parliament on Wednesday.
'Our baby could not be saved'
“Although our baby had a heartbeat, her lungs would never function…She could not be saved,” Weeldreyer and Prudente said.
“The people of Malta believe it is good and right that Andrea should have carried her to term, labour and give birth, so we could watch our baby girl immediately struggle, suffer and die because she couldn’t breathe. That, or Andrea might get sepsis before giving birth, and die too.
“The only thing more horrific than being in this situation is knowing the majority of people in Malta believe this is the right thing to do,” the couple replied when asked about their thoughts regarding the new amendments.
Prudente eventually initiated a court case against the Maltese government. She argues that the law breached the protection of her right of life, her right to respect for family life and protection from inhuman treatment.
The state advocate is arguing that at no point was Prudente at risk of dying while she was being treated at Mater Dei Hospital and at no point was she subjected to inhumane or degrading treatment.
Gynaecologists who hold opposing views of the new law have agreed on one thing: that the amendments as now passed would not have changed anything in Prudente’s case.