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A UK woman and a priest who were charged after praying silently outside of an abortion clinic were acquitted of their charges on Thursday.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the director of the UK's March for Life group, went viral last year after a video showed her being searched and arrested by police officers following her admission that she "might be" praying inside her head outside of the clinic.
According to the Daily Mail, Vaughan-Spruce was standing outside the BPAS Robert Clinic in the Birmingham area. She was not the first to have been charged for praying outside of the clinic. A priest, Father Sean Gough, was also charged and had his charges cleared on Thursday.
Vaughan-Spruce reacted to the verdict on Thursday, saying "I'm glad I've been vindicated of any wrongdoing. But I should never have been arrested for my thoughts and treated like a criminal simply for silently praying on a public street.
"When it comes to censorship zones, peaceful prayer and attempts to offer help to women in crisis pregnancies are now being described as either 'criminal' or 'anti-social'.
"But what is profoundly anti-social are the steps now being taken to censor freedom of speech, freedom to offer help, freedom to pray, and even freedom to think.
"We must stand firm against this and ensure that these most fundamental freedoms are protected and that all our laws reflect this," she said.
Prosecutor Ekene Pruce told the court that the Crown dropped all four charges brought against Father Gough and Vaughan-Sprice, adding that both cases did not meet the "full code test" for prosecutors which assesses whether prosecutions are in the public interest and if there is enough evidence for a conviction.
Faith group ADF UK legal counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole said: "Isabel and Father Sean's cases show that the current plans to introduce censorship zones across England and Wales constitute a dangerous step towards an illiberal society.
"We ask parliamentarians to think long and hard about whether we are still a free and democratic society and a free and democratic country and if so national censorship zones must be rejected."
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the director of the UK's March for Life group, went viral last year after a video showed her being searched and arrested by police officers following her admission that she "might be" praying inside her head outside of the clinic.
According to the Daily Mail, Vaughan-Spruce was standing outside the BPAS Robert Clinic in the Birmingham area. She was not the first to have been charged for praying outside of the clinic. A priest, Father Sean Gough, was also charged and had his charges cleared on Thursday.
Vaughan-Spruce reacted to the verdict on Thursday, saying "I'm glad I've been vindicated of any wrongdoing. But I should never have been arrested for my thoughts and treated like a criminal simply for silently praying on a public street.
"When it comes to censorship zones, peaceful prayer and attempts to offer help to women in crisis pregnancies are now being described as either 'criminal' or 'anti-social'.
"But what is profoundly anti-social are the steps now being taken to censor freedom of speech, freedom to offer help, freedom to pray, and even freedom to think.
"We must stand firm against this and ensure that these most fundamental freedoms are protected and that all our laws reflect this," she said.
Prosecutor Ekene Pruce told the court that the Crown dropped all four charges brought against Father Gough and Vaughan-Sprice, adding that both cases did not meet the "full code test" for prosecutors which assesses whether prosecutions are in the public interest and if there is enough evidence for a conviction.
Faith group ADF UK legal counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole said: "Isabel and Father Sean's cases show that the current plans to introduce censorship zones across England and Wales constitute a dangerous step towards an illiberal society.
"We ask parliamentarians to think long and hard about whether we are still a free and democratic society and a free and democratic country and if so national censorship zones must be rejected."
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