Police Relax Bail Conditions Stopping Catholic Woman from Praying in Public [UK]

The Catholic Herald (UK) ^ | 4/17/23 | Simon Caldwell

[marshmallow]

Police have agreed to relax bail conditions preventing a Catholic woman from praying in public following her second arrest outside an abortion facility.

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested for praying outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service clinic in Station Road, Birmingham.

It came just two weeks after a judge in the city ruled that she had committed no offence the first time she was arrested.

West Midlands Police then imposed bail conditions which included a ban on her praying publicly – even outside the 150 metre buffer zone imposed around the clinic by Birmingham City Council in autumn last year.

The conditions, which were to run for three months, prevented Ms Vaughan-Spruce, a 45-year-old pro-life counsellor, leading a group of volunteers in prayer outside a local church.

The police said the conditions were necessary to prevent her from “committing an offence whilst on bail” or from “interfering with witnesses or otherwise obstructing the course of justice”.

The force has now lifted the conditions following a legal challenge submitted by ADF UK, which is representing Ms Vaughan-Spruce.

Her legal team argued the bail conditions were “unlawful and effected in this case for an improper purpose”.

Because there were no witnesses in the case, ADF submitted that the “interference with witnesses” grounds for the bail conditions were “disingenuous” and “imposed for an ulterior motive”.

[nickcarraway]

There’s nothing more dangerous than a Catholic woman praying in public. It’s kind of like they are acknowledging Catholicism is true.

[nralife]

All of this and she was praying SILENTLY.

[Regulator]

If only she had been half crazy spouting obscenities. Then it would be completely acceptable as the ravings of a poor misfortunate unhoused person.