Pro-life activist arrested for praying outside UK abortion center receives big police payout
Lorcan Price of Alliance Defending Freedom UK said the payout indicates the arrest 'should have never happened'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A British woman formerly arrested for silently praying outside an abortion facility has received a £13,000 (approximately $17,000 USD) payout from the West Midlands Police in Birmingham, England, after filing a claim accusing them of false imprisonment, assault and wrongful arrest.
UK March for Life Director Isabel Vaughan-Spruce's story went viral after video of her March 2023 arrest for allegedly violating a Public Space Protection Order by praying outside Birmingham’s Robert Clinic spread across the web, garnering global attention.
She has since continued her fight against the charges, insisting that prayer – and thought – are not crimes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Clearly, I'm delighted to have this, but there's almost a bit of déjà vu. While I'm saying I'm delighted, I feel vindicated. I remember saying something similar when I came out of court, after having to go to court over being arrested and yet, two weeks later [after being acquitted], I was arrested again for my silent prayers. So, I do hope that the police have finally learned a lesson that silent prayer is not and can never be a criminal activity," Vaughan-Spruce told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce at Birmingham Magistrates Court where she, along with Father Sean Gough, a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, were accused of protesting outside an abortion clinic inside a Birmingham abortion facility censorship zone. Picture date: Thursday, February 16, 2023. (Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images)
Lorcan Price of Alliance Defending Freedom UK, the legal entity which has represented Vaughan-Spruce throughout her struggles with local law enforcement, said the settlement is an indication that the arrests should have never happened.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The fact that they have settled this, in addition to apologizing in an earlier part of these proceedings, is an indication, frankly, that this should never have happened and that it was completely wrong that it happened, and the behavior towards Isabel was outrageous," he told Fox News Digital.
"I think the video of her arrest and detention went viral with millions of views across the world and really brought a significant degree of embarrassment to the police in this country that they behaved in such a manner to begin with, so we're very happy, to see at least an acknowledgment in the form of the settlement of the wrongful behavior, but it's, again, very disappointing and troubling that this was allowed to happen in the first place."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Multiple videos show Vaughan-Spruce being confronted by police, who proceed to ask questions regarding her reason for being near the abortion clinic.
"I think the bigger point is that I shouldn't have had to go to these lengths to be getting some kind of an apology or payout from the police. That wasn't what I wanted to do. I just want fair treatment, and I think that would be the case with all Christians, with all pro-lifers. We just want some fairness and some justice to happen. We shouldn't have to be threatening to go to court," Vaughan-Spruce added.
Fox News Digital contacted the West Midlands Police for comment on the payout, but did not receive an immediate response.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With the newly-elected Labour government, some are concerned that crackdowns on free expression could worsen. Vaughan-Spruce herself said she is afraid similar incidents could happen again.
"I think for quite a long time, there have been concerns among many Christians about two-tier policing in our country," she said.
"The fact that we've had a change in government, whereas you might think, 'Well, let's hope things improve,' we're actually seeing that there's even greater concerns about how this two-tier policing is going to play out with our new Labour government, so I think that does leave in the minds of many Christians and pro-lifers quite a big worry for the future."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vaughan-Spruce said changes need to come to increase clarity that prayer is a "basic human right" to prevent police forces from getting "carried away" with their "own ideological beliefs."
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce has been arrested more than once for praying inside an abortion facility's "buffer zone" in the UK. (ADF UK)
According to the Washington Times, the British Home Office is slated to implement the Public Order Act to restrict all activities 150 meters (approximately 492 feet) around abortion facilities, overriding the since-replaced Conservative Party government's draft guidance stating, "Silent prayer, being the engagement of the mind and thought in prayer toward God, is protected as an absolute right under the Human Rights Act 1998 and should not, on its own, be considered to be an offense under any circumstances."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We're very concerned about this new government and its approach to freedom of expression generally, including Isabel's perfectly, reasonable, side in prayer, and other activities," Price said, adding after a moment, "We're concerned that these powers will be used in a very hard hitting and overbroad and abusive manner by the police, like we've seen in Isabel's case."
When reached for comment on Vaughan-Spruce's arrest last year, the West Midlands Police provided the following statement:
"A woman has been given a written warning for breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in Station Road, Kings Norton on 18 October.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Due to ongoing reports made by local residents regarding anti-social behavior, West Midlands Police in partnership with Birmingham City Council have successfully obtained the PSPO and the order is well publicized. Failure to comply with a PSPO is a criminal offense and further breaches will lead to a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) with a fine of up to £100 or prosecution via a court summons."