Virginity testing set to banned in Malta

Virginity testing is set to become prohibited in Malta, with government tabling a Bill in parliament to make the practice illegal.

Equality parliamentary secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said the law will send a clear message against the “discriminatory practice which causes trauma, humiliation and pain for women and girls.”

“This is an abusive practice which amounts to sexual violence, and should never be tolerated or accepted under any circumstance,” she said.

Buttigieg also said the test has no scientific basis, breaches human rights and is imposed on women in certain cultures.

The measure was part of the Labour Party’s electoral manifesto in the 2022 General Election.