Malta denies giving an abortion to an American tourist

An American woman’s life is in grave danger after Maltese doctors refused to grant her a potentially life-saving abortion following a medical emergency, her partner, Jay Weeldreyer, told Euronews.

Andrea Prudente, who was on holiday in Malta with Weeldreyer for her “honeymoon”, suffered a premature water break on Thursday.

Despite the fact that her 16-week-old fetus was no longer viable and the serious risks to her life, doctors told Prudente, 38, of Seattle, that she could not have an abortion because it is illegal in Malta, according to Weeldreyer.

He said staff at Mater Dei hospital in Msida told them to wait until the fetus’s heartbeat had stopped or there was “imminent risk” to its life before it could be removed.

Abortion is illegal in all cases in Malta

Under Maltese law, people found to have terminated a pregnancy or “induced an abortion” can face prison terms of up to three years. This includes both pregnant women and medical professionals.

The Mater Dei hospital has not responded to requests from Euronews for comment on this case, nor has the Maltese government.

“We have lost our daughter”

“The way the Maltese talk about this is that it is an abortion, the truth is that it is an incomplete abortion,” Weeldreyer told Euronews. “There is no chance that this pregnancy will result in a viable baby.

“We have lost our daughter,” he added. “I haven’t had a chance to duel yet.”

The couple had come to Malta to celebrate their babymoon. “We wanted to come here and have a two-week romantic, connecting, loving vacation to celebrate having a family,” Weeldreyer said. “Instead of that, we have had to face the danger of Andrea.” Malta is the first European country they visit.

Prudente is currently in a stable condition in the only state hospital on the southern Mediterranean island, where she is being monitored for possible health complications.

Prudente went to a hospital in Gozo for the first time at 4am on Sunday after suffering heavy vaginal bleeding. Her water broke two days later, in the 16th week of her pregnancy.

After much back and forth between emergency rooms, an ultrasound performed on Thursday confirmed that her baby could not survive outside the womb.

Mater Dei doctors told Prudente that they could not extract the fetus, despite the threat to her life, due to the criminalization of abortion in Malta. They could lose their medical licenses if the procedure is done.

Dr. Isabel Stabile, a gynecologist who helps the couple, pointed out that, in addition to “very important mental stress”, Prudente faces “two great risks”.

One is an infection, like sepsis. The other is hemorrhage, since the placenta can separate at any time and start bleeding.

“You are asked to watch and wait,” says Dr. Stabile. “This could go on for weeks.”

Although the fetus still has a heartbeat, it has zero chance of survival and is brain dead, Weeldreyer says. There is no amniotic fluid left in Prudente’s uterus, as her membranes have ruptured and her placenta is partially separated.

“This is a catastrophic loss,” says Weeldreyer. “The baby is going to die,” adding, “It is very likely that the baby will suffer from being compressed between the mother’s tissues.”

There are no provisions in Maltese law that allow abortion, even in cases where the life of the mother is in danger.

Politicians from both of Malta’s main political parties – the Labor Party and the Nationalist Party – have spoken out in favor of criminalizing abortion, arguing that it offers legal protection to unborn babies.

Every minute that passes is a threat to Andrea’s life

Weeldreyer described the choices now facing the couple as “grim”.

Since Monday, they have been trying to organize a medical evacuation to the UK, although paperwork with their travel insurer and paperwork issues are taking time.

The 2,550km journey to the UK by air ambulance also carries the risk of Prudente developing life-threatening complications along the way, according to Dr Stabile.

The alternative is for the couple to remain in Malta “until the abortion is complete” or “the baby’s heart stops,” Weeldreyer said, which carries the risk of blood poisoning.

“We have a choice between slow death from infection by staying in Malta or getting on a plane and rapid death from exsanguination,” he added.

International obstetric guidelines state that in critical cases where the fetus is not yet viable, before 24 weeks, abortion should be offered to pregnant women to prevent infection and death of the mother.

Dr Stabile, together with Dr Lara Dimitrijevic, a Maltese lawyer and director of Women for Choice, have written to the country’s Ministry of Health and Prime Minister asking them to intervene. They have not yet received a response.

“I think this is outrageous,” Dr. Dimitrijevic said. “It’s way below the standards of a European Union country. We can do much better than this.”

“We were hoping that the sense of humanity would reign. [Que hubiera] compassion and understanding, because the trauma that Andrea and her partner are going through is absolutely unacceptable. It’s a tortuous and inhumane situation.”

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