Remember Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the woman who was arrested for silently praying outside an abortion clinic?
Multiple times 👇
The charges were all eventually dropped because it turns out that even in England, there's no actual thoughtcrime on the books … yet.
But that's not the end of the story. The Alliance Defending Freedom's International team helped Vaughan-Spruce sue the police department that somehow sensed her talking to God in her mind.
With support from ADF UK, Vaughan-Spruce issued a claim against West Midlands Police for two wrongful arrests and false imprisonments; assault and battery in relation to an intrusive search of her person; and for a breach of her human rights both in respect to the arrests, and to the onerous bail conditions imposed on her.
The West Midlands Police settled with Vaughan-Spruce for £13,000 ($17,000).
It's not much, but it's not nothing either.
Hopefully, it will act as a deterrent in the future, though Vaughan-Spruce doesn't believe Christian persecution in England will go away so easily.
There is no place for Orwell's 'thought police' in 21st Century Britain, and thanks to the legal support I received from ADF UK, I'm delighted that the settlement that I have received today acknowledges that. Yet despite this victory, I am deeply concerned that this violation could be repeated at the hands of other police forces.
She's probably right.
After Vaughan-Spruce had her charges dropped, the government updated The Public Order Act and changed the language regarding buffer zones around abortion clinics.
Now, it's even vaguer and could include banning silent prayer.
The Public Order Act, adopted in 2023, is set to be rolled out by the Labour Government and will ban all forms of 'influencing' within 150m of all abortion facilities nationwide.
The ambiguous wording of the ban has worried volunteers that engaging in consensual conversation, praying, or simply offering a leaflet about help services available could lead to a criminal conviction, in further breach of rights to freedom of speech and thought.
Already, two other members of the public have been charged and are set to face trial in relation to locally-imposed "buffer zones".
I've said it before, and I'll say it again.
Only an atheist would think these buffer zones mean anything.
It's not like God has power to affect a situation only if someone is praying within 150 meters of a location.
All these laws will accomplish is the creation of prison prayer groups, and you just have to ask the Apostle Paul and Silas how that turns out.
P.S. Now check out our latest video 👇
