A Catholic priest in Birmingham, England is launching a legal challenge after he was charged with breaching a censorship zone by silently praying while holding a sign saying “praying for free speech” near a closed abortion clinic.
Father Sean Gough was charged with “intimidating service-users,” even though the clinic was closed at the time of his protest. In addition, he faced a further charge related to parking his car, with an “unborn lives matter” bumper sticker, in the vicinity of the clinic, according to ADF UK, the organization supporting Gough’s legal battle.
The area around the clinic has been covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) since November, meaning prayer, handing out information about pregnancy services, and other activities deemed to be “protest” are prohibited.
“I pray wherever I go, inside my head, for the people around me. How can it be a crime for a priest to pray? I often pray in my head near the abortion facility, but at the time in question, I was praying for free speech, which is under severe pressure in our country today. At all times, I believed my actions to be lawful – freedom of expression, especially when peaceful, is protected in domestic and international law. It is deeply undemocratic to censor public streets, particularly those spaces where we know that many women have benefitted from peaceful offers of help about services available," Father Gough said in a statement.
At the time of the protest, police said they didn’t believe any laws were being broken; however, later Gough was invited to the police for an interview, interrogated and then criminally charged. The charges have since been dropped, but not without a warning that they could be reinstated.
Gough has now decided to mount a legal challenge to pursue a clear verdict in order to clear his name.
This incident comes shortly after several similar cases of individuals being fined or criminally charged for praying near abortion clinics. But Gough is the first to be charged for praying about something other than abortion.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was recently searched and arrested in the same Birmingham area after denying that she was protesting, but saying that she “might be” praying inside her head.
Adam Smith-Connor, a father and army veteran, was recently fined after telling local authorities “I’m praying for my son, who is deceased,” within a censorship zone near an abortion facility in Bournemouth.
“The process in and of itself has become the punishment for people like Father Sean, who face onerous legal battles simply for holding peaceful views in certain public spaces, against the will of authorities. Nobody should be criminalised for peaceful activities like praying for the state of free speech in our country, or having a simple bumper sticker on their car that expresses a belief that ‘unborn lives matter’. This case demonstrates the far-reaching and illiberal consequences of so-called ‘buffer zones’. Father Sean’s years of service to women in crisis pregnancies are testimony to the good of his character and intention,” said Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF UK.
“Father Sean is understandably seeking clarity as to the lawfulness of his actions. Though charges were dropped after several weeks due to ‘insufficient evidence,’ he has been warned that further evidence relating to the charges may soon be forthcoming, implying the entire grueling process could soon restart from the beginning. This is a clear instance of the process becoming the punishment and creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the UK – a value that this government, incidentally, had promised to champion in their election manifesto,” Igunnubole added.
Gough has worked with women in crisis pregnancies and volunteers for Rachel’s Vineyard, a charity that supports women, and men, wounded by abortion. He says he does not judge or condemn those who have had abortions, but gives his time in the hope of helping them heal.
“It’s an issue that means a lot to me because my mom made a bold choice for life when I was a baby. I was conceived in the context of severe violence, and she found the grace and strength to fight for us both. So many people thought she should abort me, but by the grace of God, she didn’t, and we’re both so grateful for that today,” Gough explained.
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