Woman Pleads Not Guilty to Five Charges over Silent Prayer Near Abortion Clinic
Prosecutors say she made five separate breaches of the Public Order Act 2023 in a 150-meter safe access zone.
- On Wednesday, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a Catholic charity volunteer, pleaded not guilty to five new charges at Birmingham Magistrates' Court after prosecutors replaced an earlier charge deemed "not properly drafted."
- The prosecution stems from the Public Order Act 2023, which went into effect in October 2024 and establishes a 150-meter "safe access zone" prohibiting acts considered "influencing" anyone's decision to access abortion services.
- Vaughan-Spruce's legal team argues the prosecution is an "abuse of process" violating rights under Articles 9 and 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing her previous approximately $17,500 damages settlement after two wrongful arrests.
- Judge Tan Ikram said the case "is not about abortion rights; it is about a criminal offense which Parliament has defined," adding that "standing is not a crime" but the focus is whether she intended to influence or harass.
- Trial proceedings are scheduled for Jan. 25-29, 2027, covering alleged offenses occurring on five different days over a six-month period from June 13, 2025, through November.
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Christian woman pleads not guilty to new 'Orwellian' charges for standing and silent prayer - NEW YORK TIMES POST
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! A British Christian activist facing fresh criminal charges over silent prayer near an abortion clinic is warning that her country is becoming increasingly “Orwellian,” telling Fox News Digital that ordinary citizens are growing afraid to pray in public as her legal battle heads toward trial. “It certainly [...]
When Prayer Becomes a Crime: This is Not British
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce faces criminal charges for standing silently on a street, saying nothing and obstructing no one. Whatever your views on abortion, CJ Strachan argues that criminalising silent prayer is not who we are.
Christian Woman Faces 5 New Charges Over Silent Prayer Outside UK Abortion Clinic - Charisma Magazine Online
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has already seen silent-prayer charges dismissed. After another arrest, police apologized and paid her thousands of pounds in damages. Now, she is defending herself again. The Christian charity volunteer pleaded not guilty Wednesday to five new charges connected to silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham, England. The renewed prosecution places her […]
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