Woman arrested again for silent prayer as UK outlaws all prayer at abortion businesses

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the woman arrested for silently praying near an abortion facility in the United Kingdom, recently emerged victorious in court over her apparent thought crime. Yet mere weeks after her court victory, Vaughan-Spruce has been arrested a second time.

In a press release from ADF UK, the arrest was announced, with Vaughan-Spruce admitting that she was praying silently inside her head within a buffer zone. Six police officers responded to her presence, and in a video of her arrest, one officer admitted outright that Vaughan-Spruce’s silent prayer was the offense.

After she pointed out she wasn’t protesting or engaging in any of the banned activities within the buffer zone, the officer responded, “But you’ve said you’re engaging in prayer, which is the offense.”

“Silent prayer,” Vaughan-Spruce responded, to which the officer replied, “No, but you were still engaging in prayer. It is an offense.”

Previous charges against Vaughan-Spruce had been dropped, but she still had to attend a hearing at a Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. If found guilty, she would have had a criminal record, and could have had the charges against her reinstated. Yet the court found her innocent.

“I’m glad I’ve been vindicated of any wrongdoing,” she said at the time. “But I should never have been arrested for my thoughts and treated like a criminal simply for silently praying on a public street.”

Despite that court victory, Vaughan-Spruce was still arrested again — for the same “offense” — which understandably had led to anger and confusion. “Only three weeks ago, it was made clear by the court that my silent prayers were not a crime,” she said in the press release. “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. 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.”

Earlier this week, the United Kingdom’s parliament approved legislation outlawing prayer outside every abortion facility within the country. Though amendments had been introduced excluding prayer and consensual conversation within the 150-foot buffer zones, they were voted down.

Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for the ADF UK legal group, slammed the vote as an attack on on freedom.

“Today’s vote marks a watershed moment for fundamental rights and freedoms in our country,” he said, adding, “Parliament had an opportunity to reject the criminalization of free thought, which is an absolute right, and embrace individual liberty for all. Instead, Parliament chose to endorse censorship and criminalize peaceful activities such as silent prayer and consensual conversation. Today it’s abortion. Tomorrow it could be another contested matter of political debate. The principle remains that the government should never be able to punish anyone for prayer, let alone silent prayer, and peaceful and consensual conversation.”

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