- NEW FOOTAGE shows West Midlands Police officer ask Isabel Vaughan-Spruce to leave public area, citing concerns that her “mere presence” would cause “distress”
- Confrontation comes despite police force having paid out £13,000 for two prior wrongful arrests over her silent prayers
BIRMINGHAM (10 February 2025) – New footage obtained by ADF UK shows a West Midlands Police officer demand charitable volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce to leave a public area because of what she is known to believe – despite her simply standing alone, praying silently, without undertaking any actions.
The footage shows the police officer explain that he believes Isabel’s “mere presence” may constitute “harassment, alarm and distress”, given that she is known to have pro-life beliefs and belong to a pro-life organisation. He thus concluded that she was breaching the rules of the “buffer zone” – an area within 150m of an abortion facility.
However, the buffer zone legislation does not single out individuals to ban from the area for their beliefs, but rather prohibits behaviours amounting to “intimidation”, “harassment”, or “influencing a person’s decision to access” an abortion facility.
With support from ADF UK, Vaughan-Spruce has written to police to ask for clarification that a person’s mere presence does not amount to a criminal offence.
The incident took place despite West Midlands Police previously issuing an apology and a payout of £13,000 for breaching Vaughan-Spruce’s human rights on two prior occasions where they arrested her for praying silently in the same “buffer zone”.
"[The officer] believes that just because I hold pro-life beliefs, I am automatically a criminal in certain public areas.This isn’t right.”
Vaughan-Spruce, who has been a crisis pregnancy volunteer for two decades and has prayed nearby the abortion facility on a weekly basis throughout that time, was tried for breaching a buffer zone by praying silently in her mind at Birmingham Magistrates Court in February 2023, and was found innocent.
CPS Guidance from October 2024 stipulates that silent prayer is “not necessarily” a crime in an abortion “buffer zone”. The guidance further states that any actions must be “overt” to meet the threshold of criminality.
Commenting on the exchange, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce said:
“It has been made clear time and time again through the verdict of Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, through the concession and payout from the police, through the words of the former Home Secretary and through CPS Guidance – you cannot break the law by simply existing in a buffer zone, holding thoughts and beliefs in your mind.
“Every person has a right to stand in a public space and think what they want. The police officer told me that my “mere presence” was offensive – that’s nothing short of viewpoint discrimination. He believes that just because I hold pro-life beliefs, I am automatically a criminal in certain public areas. This isn’t right.”
ADF UK legal counsel Jeremiah Igunnubole said:
“Nobody should be criminalised for publicly holding lawful views or associating with any lawful cause. The idea that the state can interrogate citizens and instruct them to leave certain public areas based on their pro-life beliefs and associations is profoundly chilling and concrete evidence, if ever we needed more, of viewpoint-based two-tier policing.
“If Isabel can be treated this way then what does this mean for all Christians holding to biblical truths? This isn’t 1984; it’s 2025 – police must respect the fundamental rights of freedom of speech, thought and association.”
Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only
Pictured: Vaughan-Spruce’s first arrest; Vaughan-Spruce’s second arrest; headshots, Isabel Vaughan=Spruce; Vaughan-Spruce with ADF UK Legal Counsel, Jeremiah Igunnubole
