Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a British magistrate, said that no one should be penalized for their thoughts. She and Father Sean Gough, a Catholic priest, were acquitted of criminal charges stemming out of silent prayer in front an abortion facility in Birmingham.

Vaughan-Spruce was reported by the Daily Citizen that she was taken into police custody after someone complained about her presence in front an abortion facility. This is known as a Public Spaces Protection Order, which places a censorship area near each facility where no pro-life activity can be allowed. An officer asked her what she was doing. She wasn’t even holding a protest sign.

The officer asked, “Are your praying?”

Vaughan-Spruce replied, “I might have been praying in my head.” She was quickly arrested.

Father Gough was also taken into custody in another incident for silent prayer in front a closed abortion clinic. He was carrying a sign saying, “Praying to free speech.” Father Gough was also arrested for another offense of silent prayer in front of an abortion clinic.

Although the prosecution decided not to pursue the pair, the prosecutors left the option open for them to do so if there was more evidence.

Vaughan-Spruce, Father Gough, and Father Gough were permitted to request their time in court under British law. This led to court hearings this week, in which the prosecutors declined to prosecute. The magistrate then permanently acquitted both of them.

Vaughan-Spruce spoke with reporters after her acquittal

I am happy to be free from all charges and have my name cleared.

My beliefs are firm. Unborn lives matter. We can all agree, regardless of our views on abortion, that a democracy cannot be involved in prosecuting thought crimes.

If the government creates censorship zones around all abortion facilities in the country, like they are contemplating doing with the Public Order Bill, who knows how many people will be tried or even sent to prison for offering their help or praying in their minds?

Before censoring the streets and making it easier for good people to be punished for their acts of love, I urge the government to investigate the positive work done by pro-life groups to help vulnerable women in crisis.

Alliance Defending Freedom – UK – supported both defendants in their legal proceedings. Jeremiah Igunnubole (legal counsel for ADF UK) commented in a press release on the “not guilty” verdicts.

The court case today is of immense cultural importance. This is not 1984, it’s 2023. Nobody should be punished for their thoughts, prayers, or peaceful expressions on a public street. It’s a wonderful moment to celebrate Father Sean and Isabel’s vindication.

Our parliament is now considering censorial legislation. This could mean that more people’s thoughts will be on trial. Let’s not forget that Isabel and Fr. would have been arrested if they had thought different thoughts. If Sean and Fr. had been in the exact same spot, thinking about different things, they wouldn’t likely have been arrested.

And last but not least,

Although their case is closed today, it should still be highlighted in this conversation as an example of cautionary behavior. The UK does not prohibit freedom of thought, prayer, offering of help, or peaceful conversation. We call on Parliament to reject any attempt to create censorship zones by vaguely worded legislation.

Vaughan-Spruce, Father Gough and others are also facing charges for silent prayer in the UK.

Police in Bournemouth fined Adam Smith-Connor, a 49 year-old physiotherapist for praying silently in front of the abortion clinic where his son was aborted 20-years ago. When he answered “praying”, the police approached him and asked him about his prayers.

Smith-Connor said he was praying for his son. The police then concluded that he must have been praying against abortion and had therefore violated the PSPO. ADF-UK has also provided support and assembled a legal team to assist him in fighting the fine.

These three prayerful people were arrested and fined for their religious beliefs. This happened despite the fact that freedom of religion or conscience is protected by the UK’s Human Rights Act 1998. It also adopts the European Convention on Human Rights.

The First Amendment may be a protection for our rights in the United States, but abortion clinics in America enjoy the same kind of religious fervor as they do in the UK.

While the Constitution guarantees our rights, in practice, they are only as strong as the judges, lawyers, and legislators who are charged with protecting them. We Christians who care about the protection of the pre-born and freedom to think cannot afford to watch as abortion activists try to silence our voices and thoughts in the ongoing cultural struggle for the salvation of babies’ lives.