In a joint statement on Tuesday, 44 NGOs, Organisations, Groups and Associations, together with Former President of the Republic Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and her husband Edgar Preca, have endorsed the proposal made by a Group of 80 Experts regarding the amendments to the Criminal Code on abortion.

They are appealing to the Government to redraft the amendment tabled in Parliament to articles 241 and 243 of the Criminal Code in line with the proposal of the Group of 80 Experts, “and not open the open the door for the introduction of abortion.”

The joint statement said that, “the Group of 80 Experts concluded that the amendment put forward by the Government opens the door for legal abortion in our country as it does not only speak of instances where the woman is at risk of dying but opens the door to other health related instances that do not put the life of the mother at risk of dying.”

“This goes beyond the declared intention of Government when presenting this amendment, and the organisations remind the Government that as confirmed by the Prime Minister, the Government does not have a mandate to introduce abortion in Malta,” the statement continued.

“The Group of 80 inter-disciplinary experts in clinical medicine, gynaecology and obstetrics, health sciences, midwifery, law, psychology, well-being, social policy, family studies, philosophy, ethics and theology, provided an alternative amendment that ensures that the law complies with the dignity of the human person and the human rights deriving therefrom, in particular, the fundamental right to life of the woman and the unborn child, and the right to legal certainty, in relation to the situation where a pregnant woman’s life is in manifest danger of death or where a real and substantial risk to her life exists from a physical illness,” the statement said.

The named entities on the statement said that they “therefore endorse the proposed clause and appeal to the Government to adopt this version in Parliament:”

“No crime is committed under article 241(2) or article 243 when the death or bodily harm of an unborn child results from a medical intervention conducted with the aim of saving the life of the mother where there is a real and substantial risk of loss of the mother’s life from a physical illness.”

The endorsing NGOs, Organisations, Groups and Associations are:

The Former President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca and Edgar Preca

Augustinian Youths

Azzjoni Kattolika

Caritas Malta

Catholic Charismatic Renewal

Catholic Voices Malta

Church Schools Association (CSA)

Christian Life Community (CLC) Malta

Dar Merhba Bik

Doctors for Life

Eucharistic Youth Movement Malta

Fondazzjoni Sebh

Forum tal-Ghaqdiet u Movimenti Kattolici tal-Lajci

Gozo Aid for the Visually Impaired

Gozo Association for the Deaf

Great Oak Malta Association

I See Life

Kamra ta’ L-Ispizjara ta’ Malta

Knisja Evangelika Battista

Kummissjoni Gustizzja u Paci

Legion of Mary

Life Network Foundation

Malta Catholic Youth Network

Malta House of Prayer

Malta Unborn Child Platform

Maltese Jesuit Community

MFOPD

Mission Fund

Moviment ta’ Cana

Muscular Dystrophy Group Malta

National Council for Women

National Parents Society of Persons with Disability (NPSPD)

New Humanity Movement, Malta (Focolare Movement, Malta)

Pietre Vive

Salesians of Don Bosco

Secretariat for Catholic Education

Segretarjat Assistenza Socjali (AKM)

Socjeta M.U.S.E.U.M Nisa

Socjeta M.U.S.E.U.M Rgiel

Sovereign Order of Malta

St Jeanne Antide Foundation

The Evangelical Alliance of Malta

Trinity Evangelical Church

Youths for Christ

Zghazagh Azzjoni Kattolika (ZAK).

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