PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain – A pregnant American woman who did not have an abortion while on vacation in Malta, a woman’s partner said, was treated at a hospital on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Friday, as Maltese law prohibits the abortion.
Jay Veldreier told The Associated Press that doctors at Son Espasé University Hospital in Palma de Mallorca prepared his wife, Andrea Prudente, for a procedure to remove remaining tissue from the fetus as a life-threatening infection threatened.
A medical evacuation flight at the end of Thursday transported the couple from Malta to Mallorca.
Prudent, 38, had severe bleeding on June 12 that caused premature rupture of the fetal gland and abruption of the placenta, Welderier, 45, told AP on Thursday.
She said the Malta hospital where she was treated was watching her closely for any signs of infection but was unable to perform surgery to complete her miscarriage.
Malta is the only EU member state to ban abortion for any reason.
The couple arrived in Malta on June 5 to plan a baby bear vacation from Isakuah, Washington, near Seattle. A week after the trip, Prudente started bleeding and said he faced “the worst of all possible worlds where there was no good option,” Weldrier said. She said she was 16 weeks pregnant at the time.
Under Spanish law, abortion on demand is allowed up to the 14th week of pregnancy and up to the 22nd week when a woman’s life or health is in danger.
The Women’s Rights Foundation filed a legal protest in court in Malta last week calling for the legalization of abortion in a small island nation.
Kiar Gilles of Madrid and Francis d’Emilio of Rome contributed to this report.
Source: Washington Post
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
