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Ms Vaughan-Spruce was first confronted by police for praying outside sn abortion clinic in Birmingham on December 6, 2022.

MPs reject attempts to allow silent prayer outside abortion clinics in move branded ‘thoughtcrime’ – after police arrested Catholic woman for praying in an ‘exclusion zone’

-> MPs voted against amendment to allow ‘silent prayer’ outside abortion clinics
-> In a free vote, MPs rejected proposal by 116 votes to 299, with a majority of 183

Elly Blake — Daily Mail March 8, 2023

MPs rejected attempts to allow ‘silent prayer’ outside abortion clinics in England and Wales in the Commons yesterday, amid warnings new buffer zone measures risk making ‘thoughtcrime’ a reality.

The Public Order Bill contains powers to make it an offence to interfere with, intimidate or harass women accessing, or people providing, abortion services.

Protesters found guilty of breaching the ‘safe access zone’, which would extend 150 metres from clinics, could be fined.

It comes after a Catholic woman was arrested on Monday for ‘silently praying’ outside an abortion clinic just weeks after being acquitted for the same offence.

Video shared online shows Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, director of anti-abortion group March for Life UK, being arrested outside the BPAS Robert Clinic in Kings Norton, Birmingham on Monday.

Officers ask Ms Vaughan-Spruce to ‘step outside the exclusion zone’ that exists around the clinic. However, she tells officers that she is ‘not protesting’ and ‘not engaging in any of the activities prohibited’.

Police respond: ‘But you’ve said you’re engaging in prayer, which is the offence’, to which she replies: ‘Silent prayer.’

West Midlands Police confirmed a 45-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of breaching a public space protection order (PSPO), following complaints from members of the public.

The arrest came just weeks after she was found not guilty by Birmingham Magistrates Court for silently praying outside the  BPAS Robert Clinic in Kings Norton, Birmingham, on December 6.

Her arrest sparked a fierce debate, with supporters saying she was effectively arrested for ‘thoughtcrime’, a term which her legal representatives ADF UK used – but she was cleared of all charges.

But yesterday a group of Tory and DUP MPs tabled an amendment aimed at ensuring no offence is committed if a person is ‘engaged in consensual communication or in silent prayer’ outside the clinics or hospitals offering abortion services.

In a free vote, the proposal was rejected by 116 votes to 299, majority 183.

Continues …