A woman, found guilty of assaulting a pro-choice doctor during a peaceful roadside protest, later saying that the message on the activist’s placard “hurt” her feelings, was fined €58.

Judgment was delivered on the incident which took place on May 9, 2022, when Isabelle Stabile, a gynaecologist and member of Doctors for Choice, was assaulted by Jennifer Grech during a protest on Aldo Moro Street, Marsa.

Grech was driving along that busy road that morning at around 8.30 am when she spotted Stabile standing near a bus stop, holding up a placard which carried a message along the lines that abortion was a woman’s choice.

The driver stopped her car, holding up traffic and approached the activist, telling her to go away, saying that “abortion is murder and you are a murderer.”

But when Stabile stood her ground, saying that there was no need for a permit for a peaceful protest, Grech first turned and headed towards her car, then suddenly ran back towards the activist, pushing her “full force on the chest.”

The two had allegedly clashed in a separate incident some month before that Marsa episode but on that earlier occasion, no physical violence was involved.

Grech had also posted comments on the Doctors for Choice Facebook page.

Someone had reacted to her anti-abortion comment by referring to people with special needs and that message had struck a personal chord since Grech’s disabled brother had died just two months after the incident.

That was why the pro-choice message “hurt” her feelings, Grech had explained when testifying in the proceedings where she stood accused of assaulting the activist, insulting and threatening her as well as misuse of electronic equipment.

She insisted that she had no personal grudge against Stabile and that her actions had only been directed against the placard which she had tried to push away.

When delivering judgment the court, presided over by Magistrate Astrid May Grima, concluded that the charges relating to the alleged misuse of electronic communications equipment were not sufficiently proved.

The court, however, found Grech guilty of assaulting, insulting and threatening the victim and ordered her to pay a minor fine (ammenda) of €58.23.

Inspector Sarah Kathleen Zerafa prosecuted. Lawyer Jason Azzopardi was defence counsel. Lawyer Lara Dimitrjevic appeared parte civile.