Cruelty to defenceless beings

“Horrific, shocking reality. Most people who view this picture will probably be stunned at the extent of the cruelty humans are capable of inflicting on defenceless beings.” Thus read the caption beneath a picture of Star, the “miracle dog” that survived a shot in the head and being buried alive a day before (The Times, May 21).

Online comments had more to say: “It’s absolutely heartbreaking that there are people in this world who would actually do this.” “Shame! How can someone treat animals in such a way?”

The Times report said that “the case is being investigated by the police. Anyone who has information can call the police on 2122 4001”.

The December 2006 issue of Pink reported Tony Levatino, an Ameri­can gynaecologist and obstetrician, saying, that he had carried out thousands of abortions in the United States until the tragic death of his adopted daughter made him realise and declare: “It hits you... it’s a real person you are killing.”

Official statistics published by the UK government last week show 51 women had an abortion in the UK last year, compared to 78 in 2009. More abortions are being performed in nearby Sicily and elsewhere. Probably, clandestinely, also in Malta. Speaking in Parliament last month on the proposed new House committee on the well-being of the family, Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg said that it was the duty of the state to protect the family and that the state had a duty to protect children’s interest. The Maltese legal framework provided for such protection, he noted.

Yet, in Malta we hardly ever hear or read reports and comments, especially in the media, on cruelty to Maltese unborn children through abortion overseas as those quoted above regarding cruelty to animals. This is probably because the cruel acts, the crimes, the killing of defenceless very little human beings, Maltese nationals or not, are carried out on foreign soil. Neither do we hear or read in the press about the police, or state social workers, investigating and studying these abortions overeseas, nothwithsand­ing that unborn children in Malta are protected by the Domestic Violence Law of 2005.

There is a lot the Ministry of the Family, its social workers and the National Commission for Domestic Violence can do to inform, explain and help pregnant women who are contemplating abortions overseas on what they can do not to go ahead with their plans.

An awareness campaign by the state on the merits and efficacy of fostering and adoption of unwanted unborn children can and should be launched as soon as possible. It should be considered as a national priority, hopefully to save unborn children being killed overseas. Statistics available in Malta show that many Maltese couples are adopting children from Russia and a smaller number from Malta because few children are given up for adoption here. There are many generous couples, Maltese or not, who want to adopt not only a dog like Star – which has now died – but even more so unwanted children once they are born.

The state should also help financially Gift of Life, an organisation within the MUCM, which is already doing invaluable work with women who are contemplating an abortion.

Chief Justice Emeritus Vincent Degaetano, now a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, lately formally signalled his disagreement with the Court over what he described as “a weak and hesitant approach on the right to life of the unborn child”.

Referring to a Court decision laying down that “pregnancy cannot be said to pertain uniquely to the sphere of private life”, he was of the view that, by examining the issue under article 8 (protection of one’s private life) of the European Human Rights Convention, the Court was making things more difficult for itself on the question of “the beginning of life and the unborn child’s protection under a ‘more fundamental’ provision of the Convention, namely article 2 (right to life)”.

He noted that in spite of all the “evolutive interpretations” adopted by the Court in other areas of the Convention, “when it comes to the right to life of the unborn child, the Court has been exceptionally pusillanimous”, with only cursory references hinting at some form of protection and the Court in most cases preferring to avoid the issue completely or to hide behind the “margin of appreciation” doctrine.

“So we continue to drag article 8 into the fray” added Judge Degaetano, “making things confused, worse confounded. At one end of the spectrum the death penalty has been abolished, at the other end the unborn child’s right to life remains in limbo”.

The International Society of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Medicine, which is devoted to the initial phase of human development – prenatal and perinatal life, considers this earliest stage of life as “the first ecological position of the human being and the womb as its first ecological environment. Pregnancy is per­ceived to be a period of active and continuous dialogue between the prenatal child, the mother and her psycho-social environment”.

Lately, to her credit, Grace Attard, president of the Malta Council of Women, a core group member of MUCM and member of the European Economic & Social Committee, called for alternative solutions to abortion in last month’s forum of EECS in Brussels and had a very encouraging response from the same forum.

Mr Mifsud is coordinator of the Malta Unborn Child Movement – MUCM.