Woman Arrested for Silently Praying Near Abortion Clinic for the Second Time

The UK just passed a public order bill that would criminalize silent prayer outside clinics

A British woman has been arrested for the second time for silently praying near an abortion clinic for the second time.

This comes just weeks after a court deemed Isabel Vaughan-Spruce to be “not guilty” of violating one of the established “buffer zones” outside some British abortion clinics.

Six police officers reportedly attended her arrest.

According to a press release from Alliance Defending Freedom UK, bail conditions have been imposed on Vaughan-Spruce, a charitable volunteer, and she is prohibited from entering an area around the abortion clinic that is even larger than the “buffer zone.”

ADF UK @ADF_UK

🚨BREAKING: Isabel has been arrested, AGAIN, for THINKING. MPs vote TOMORROW on banning silent prayer near all abortion facilities in🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿&🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 "You've said you're engaging in prayer, which is the offense." "Silent prayer." "You were still engaging in prayer, which is the offense."

“Only three weeks ago, it was made clear by the court that my silent prayers were not a crime. And yet, again, I have been arrested and treated as a criminal for having the exact same thoughts in my head, in the same location,” she said in a statement. “The ambiguity of laws that limit free expression and thought – even in peaceful, consensual conversation or in silent, internal prayer – leads to abject confusion, to the detriment of important fundamental rights. Nobody should be criminalised for their thoughts.”

On March 7, the United Kingdom Parliament passed a public order bill that would allow for prosecution in cases when a person is determined to have tried to “influence” a woman’s abortion decision, including silently praying like Vaughan-Spruce.