A woman arrested twice for silently praying outside an abortion clinic, who received a £13,000 payout in acknowledgement of her unjust treatment, is now being investigated for silently praying outside an abortion clinic for a third time.
West Midlands Police have previously arrested Director of the March For Life UK, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, twice for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in Birmingham but subsequently apologised and gave the £13,000 payout. However, Vaughan-Spruce is now being investigated for a third time, with West Midlands Police asking prosecutors if there is enough evidence to charge the pro-life volunteer.
Responding to the news, Vaughan-Spruce said “Despite being fully vindicated multiple times after being wrongfully arrested for my thoughts, it’s unbelievable that two and a half years later, I am still being harassed by police for silently praying in that area, and yet again find myself under investigation for the same prayers I have said for twenty years”.
“Silent prayer cannot possibly be a crime – everyone has the right to freedom of thought”.
Pro-lifers “shouldn’t be treated as criminals for simply being on a public street”
Vaughan-Spruce was first arrested in November 2022 after she told police she “might” be silently praying whilst she was standing on a public street near an abortion clinic in Birmingham. She had no signs or outward expression of political views of any kind. She was in complete silence. Police officers, who had received a complaint from an onlooker, approached her and began to ask her what she was doing.
She was searched, arrested and then interrogated. Police showed her pictures of herself standing near the clinic and asked her if she was praying. Vaughan-Spruce said she “might” have been praying but could not recall if she was praying at these specific moments, or whether she was thinking about something else, such as her lunch.
Even though she was acquitted of all charges in February 2023, she was arrested again, just weeks later for allegedly breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which bans protests outside abortion clinics within a designated area.
In September 2023 West Midlands Police issued an apology to Vaughan-Spruce and confirmed that they would not be bringing charges against her. The same police force gave her a £13,000 payout in acknowledgement of her unjust treatment in August 2024.
Following the latest investigation, pro-life group March For Life UK criticised the actions of West Midlands Police, saying “What’s the apology and settlement for if the harassment by police still continues? [Pro-lifers] shouldn’t be treated as criminals for simply being on a public street”.
Criticism of “concerning” buffer zone legislation
Abortion buffer zones came into force in October 2024 outside abortion clinics in England and Wales, criminalising offering vital support to women, and amid confusion about precisely what activities are prohibited outside abortion clinics.
Jeremiah Igunnubole, Legal Counsel for ADF UK, the legal organisation supporting Vaughan-Spruce, highlighted the confusion, saying “’Buffer zones’ are among the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern west. We all stand against harassment and abuse, but the ‘buffer zone’ law broadly bans ‘influence’, which is being interpreted by police officers to target innocent people who happen to stand in a certain place and believe a certain thing”.
ADF UK added “No one should be censored or arrested for their beliefs. Yet, this is exactly what is happening under ‘buffer zone’ laws in the U.K. Praying is not a crime”.
The latest investigation comes after a number of other cases in which pro-life campaigners have found their protests shut down. Earlier this year, Dr. Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, was convicted for offering consensual conversation and holding up a sign within an abortion clinic buffer zone reading “Here to talk if you want”.
In another high-profile case, a priest was charged for allegedly breaching an abortion buffer zone by praying silently and holding a sign with the words “praying for freedom of speech” near a closed abortion clinic in Birmingham. He also faced a further charge for an “Unborn Lives Matter” sticker on his car, which was parked nearby. The Crown Prosecution Service eventually dropped the charges against Fr Gough but made it clear that they could be reinstated.
Abortion buffer zones have drawn significant criticism. In a Telegraph poll which asked “Should silent prayer be banned outside abortion clinics?”, 81% of readers at the time of writing responded “no, there is a human right to freedom of thought”. Former MP Miriam Cates called the buffer zone law “absurd”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “The latest investigation into Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who has at no point intimidated or harassed anyone, is unacceptable and highlights the confusion surrounding the buffer zone legislation. The police are using this dangerous law to target innocent people for simply holding private pro-life thoughts in their minds”.
“This censorship is totally unjust and unnecessary, and the investigation into Vaughan-Spruce’s innocent activities should be dropped immediately”.
