2) You have no knowledge of basic biology, do you? Foetuses and embryos can live without the mother if supplied with the necessary hormones and metabolites by Tony the scientist. The foetus is not a part of the mother but a separate human being. This is not “emotions”. This is a basic scientific fact.
The first title of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union by the same ECHR clearly states that everyone has the right to life. To not include foetuses is a contradiction and this has nothing to do with souls or religion.

3) 9% is significant, especially if the repurcussions include a police record or a jail term. Loosely speaking, 1 in 10 allegations of rape are found to be false. That’s not even taking into account the number of false allegations taken to be true.

@Daphne. I don’t think it’s just related to abortion. I think it’s just related to expressing opinions. For some reason there are fewer women ready to express their opinion than there aremen, at least in Malta.

[Daphne – It’s not just that. Abortion seems to bring the men out quicker than football. Hadn’t you noticed?]

Granted, abortion should be something with a larger female “fan-base”, so to speak, since it relates directly to women. But apparently not.

oh forgot the second line. African Medium of International Fame

malti pur u ma nghawwigx b lingliz u kburi li malti u li qatt am weggajt lil hadd daphne hi

Actually I suggest that you look into international law and jurisdiction with regards to this matter. When I specifically asked about this matter, I was told politely not to go there.

[Daphne – Abortion is not covered by international law, which deals only with very specific crimes and situations, like terrorism, hijacking, piracy and mass murder, war crimes, and so on. It certainly doesn’t get into the business of a lone woman from Malta getting on an Easy Jet flight and having an abortion in Manchester.]

1) Yes, the ECHR is certainly not in any position to make any human rights judgement. Who do they think they are, the European Court for Human Rights?

2) No it is not. First of all, there’s a difference between biological and socialisation when it comes to “taking care of”. A foetus needs a mother biologically. It cannot live without her. A severely disabled child, while depending on the mother (or the father, or a caretaker, or an aunt, or Tony that sells me cabbages every morning), is not dependant on her biologically. There lies the difference

3) Ok…9% are false allegations. 91% are not false allegations. 9% is not “oftentimes”; 91% is.

While I don’t agree with everything Daphne has said, it is arguments like these that don’t give credentials to the conservative pro-life movement in Malta. Putting emotions ahead of rational and logical thinking.

[Daphne – From time to time, I wonder why Maltese men, rather than Maltese women, are so very exercised by the subject of abortion, and take it so personally. You would think they were the ones getting pregnant – but that might just be it: they are the ones who are not.]

[Daphne – Malti pur li ma jafx jikteb bil-Malti, jew mid-dehra m’ghandhux ‘ u – fil-keyboard tieghu.]

U sorry ta, one last thing – YOU give US rights?

Ghax ma tmurx tinheba, siehbi!

Have you ever given birth?! Have you ever been a scared 14 year old pregnant girl? Have you ever been pregnant by your rapist?

Who are you to judge and call us feminists?! What does it make you then? A sexist? Thinking that just because you are a man you have all the power in the world?

In NO WAY do I condone abortion but you are not right to judge!

This case does not apply to Malta as in Malta abortion is illegal while in Italy abortion is legal.

Besides the concept of a person can include the foetus. This is found in the United States Unborn Victims of Violence Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_rights).