Let’s get the facts straight

I would like to refer to the editorial of December 2, ‘An important debate, cheapened’.

The issue at stake is whether this government will introduce abortion by stealth.

This newspaper seems to be ambivalent over the issue of abortion.

One is sick and tired of the usual pro-life advocates being branded as ‘extreme’, ‘hardcore conservatives’, ‘ultra-conservatives’ and other derogatory attributes instead of sticking to the argument.

Abortion is not a partisan issue. One is either in favour of safeguarding life or one is not. This is not a case of debating how much farmland will be exploited on the altar of the construction industry.

Abortion is a totally different matter. Issues like abortion cannot be subject to debate or compromise.

It is a question of life or death; in this case, the death of those who are voiceless and vulnerable and cannot defend themselves.

Expressing and explaining the facts are therefore of infinitely greater importance than quibbling on the manner in which the leader of the Opposition reacted to the behaviour of Andrea Prudente.

Firstly, one expects to know the truth about her pregnancy.

Was it non-viable? As yet there was no clear medical explanation.

Secondly, it was made eminently clear that Prudente’s life was not at risk and the child was still alive.

In Malta, every effort is made to save both mother and child and the stage was not reached where the sacrificing of the child’s life was inevitable. The excellent track record in Malta when treating pregnant women speaks for itself and Prudente should have felt reassured by this.

Andrea Prudente

Prudente chose to terminate her pregnancy despite the laws of the land.

The deliberate killing of nascent life when there is still a possibility of saving the child is unacceptable in Malta.

However, what is definitely worse is Prudente’s attempt to tarnish Malta’s reputation and use international media power to legalise abortion.

Such an action is despicable.

Klaus Vella-Bardon – Balzan

National debate standards

I refer to the editorial of the Times of Malta of December 2, where the leader of the PN was criticised for his approach to the abortion debate.

I would like to address the first paragraph where it is stated that Andrea Prudente claimed her right to have a termination of a non-viable pregnancy.

I believe the definition of non-viable is not correct in the clinical circumstances that Prudente presented with.

In fact, as a consultant gynaecologist I can say that, at exactly the same time as the Prudente case was being debated, I cared for another pregnancy with exactly the same clinical situation and this pregnancy progressed to a viable age and was delivered a few weeks ago.

While I agree wholeheartedly with the argument that we need to raise the standards of our national debates, I believe it to be equally important to ensure that statements on which arguments are based are scrutinised for accuracy before publication.

Mark Formosa – Sliema