Bernard Grech has declined to apologise for mocking the US tourist whose pregnancy crisis sparked a proposed change to Malta’s anti-abortion laws, saying: “I only spoke of facts.”
The PN leader faced calls from some quarters to resign over his comments attacking Andrea Prudente, who is suing the Maltese authorities for denying her request for a termination of her non-viable pregnancy at 16 weeks.
“This pregnant American woman travelled more than 20 hours to celebrate her babymoon in Malta. I had never even heard of this baby moon... but there she was calling it a baby as well,” he said in parliament earlier this month.
“She wanted an abortion, despite our doctors treating her well and in a prudent way,” Grech said, using her surname in a play on words.
His comments have been heavily criticised by women’s groups, pro-choice organisations, rival political parties and he has faced a call to resign by the NGO Moviment Graffitti.
No apology
Asked if he would like to apologise for his comments as he entered parliament on Monday, Grech twice declined the opportunity.
“We remain focused on the main issue, that Robert Abela wants to introduce abortion to Malta,” he said.
He said that the pressure from people has meant that the prime minister is considering several possibilities to amend the law.
Asked again if his comments were appropriate, Grech said that his comments in parliament were the truth.
“I spoke about facts when I said Andrea Prudente caught a 20-hour flight to come to Malta,” he said.
Prudente previously told Times of Malta that she was on a babymoon in Gozo to celebrate her pregnancy with her partner in June when she began to suffer the symptoms of a miscarriage and was taken to hospital.
There she was told that her longed-for child would not survive but that Malta’s strict anti-abortion laws meant doctors could not terminate unless Prudente’s own life was at risk.
She was later medically evacuated to Spain, where the procedure was carried out after her health insurance deemed her situation to be life-threatening.
The case kickstarted a national debate on abortion and has led to a government bill that would allow abortion if the mother’s health is in “grave danger”.
It is strongly opposed by the Nationalist Party and elements of Maltese society including the Catholic Church. Tens of thousands of people took part in a protest against the amendment earlier this month.
Among the groups to criticise Grech for attacking the woman at the heart of the case are the Women’s Rights Foundation, Doctors for Choice, ADPD and the Labour Party.