{"id":83588,"date":"2026-01-27T13:41:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T12:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=83588"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:34:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:34:37","slug":"christian-woman-charged-for-silent-prayer-to-appear-in-court-thursday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/christian-woman-charged-for-silent-prayer-to-appear-in-court-thursday","title":{"rendered":"THURSDAY: Christian woman criminally charged for silent prayer to appear in court"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"83588\" class=\"elementor elementor-83588\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-3f2af895 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"3f2af895\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-757fb69\" data-id=\"757fb69\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bb8b505 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6bb8b505\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Charity volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was previously cleared in court and received a payout from police for being unjustly arrested twice for her silent prayers, has been criminally charged again<\/li><li>Ms Vaughan-Spruce will appear in Birmingham Magistrates\u2019 Court on Thursday 29 January at 10am, with the legal support of ADF International<\/li><li>Last week, US Vice President JD Vance criticised \u2018when other nations throw pro-life and pro-family advocates in prison for silent prayer\u2019<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4644bd95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4644bd95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-praying-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-83589\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-praying-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-praying-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-praying-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-praying.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d95f8ce elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d95f8ce\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>BIRMINGHAM\u00a0(27 January\u00a02026) \u2013 <\/strong>A Christian woman criminally charged because she \u201cstood outside\u201d an abortion facility in Birmingham and silently prayed will appear in court on Thursday.<\/p><p>Charity volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was criminally charged last December by West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service for silently praying in a \u201cbuffer zone\u201d, will appear in Birmingham Magistrates\u2019 Court for a first hearing on Thursday 29 January at 10am.<\/p><p>She is expected to enter a plea of \u201cnot guilty\u201d and to receive a trial date at the hearing. ADF International is supporting her legal defence.<\/p><p>This is the first time someone has been criminally charged\u00a0under national \u201cbuffer zone\u201d legislation,\u00a0which came into\u00a0force\u00a0in October 2024, under Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>The\u00a0new national\u00a0law prohibits<em> \u201cinfluencing any person\u2019s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services\u201d<\/em>\u00a0within\u00a0150m\u00a0of\u00a0abortion facilities, but does not mention silent prayer specifically.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>CPS\u00a0guidance\u00a0on the law stipulates that silent prayer on its own is not enough to meet the threshold of criminality\u00a0unless it is accompanied by \u201covert\u201d activity.\u00a0<\/p><p>All\u00a0previous\u00a0court cases\u00a0regarding\u00a0the status of silent prayer took place in the context of\u00a0\u201cbuffer zones\u201d\u00a0enforced by local authorities via Public Spaces Protection Orders, rather than\u00a0through\u00a0this\u00a0new law.\u00a0<\/p><p>Ms Vaughan-Spruce has previously been arrested twice for her silent prayers.\u00a0<\/p><p>She was cleared in court in February 2023 after her first arrest, and after being arrested a second time in March 2023, the police dropped their investigation.<\/p><p>In August 2024, Ms Vaughan-Spruce won a payout of \u00a313,000 from West Midlands Police after she issued a claim for unlawful arrests and the breach of her human rights.<\/p><p>Thursday\u2019s court hearing follows US Vice President JD Vance commenting on \u201cbuffer zone\u201d censorship at the Washington DC March for Life 2026 on Friday.<\/p><p>Vice President Vance <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ADFIntl\/status\/2014789891343704245\">said<\/a>:<em> \u201cIt\u2019s why we speak up when other nations throw pro-life and pro-family advocates in prison for silent prayer. Which we\u2019ve seen way too much, but it\u2019s got to stop.\u201d<\/em><\/p><p>The US Administration has criticised \u201cbuffer zone\u201d censorship in the UK on multiple occasions.<\/p><p><strong>Ms Vaughan-Spruce commented:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><p><em>\u201cDespite being fully vindicated multiple times after being wrongfully arrested for my thoughts,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0unbelievable that I have yet again been charged for standing in that public\u00a0area, and\u00a0holding pro-life beliefs. Silent prayer \u2013 or holding pro-life beliefs \u2013 cannot\u00a0possibly be\u00a0a crime. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Jeremiah Igunnubole, legal counsel for ADF International, said:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><p><em>\u201c\u2019Buffer zones\u2019 are among the most concerning frontiers of censorship in the modern West. We all stand against harassment and abuse, but the \u2018buffer zone\u2019 law\u00a0broadly bans\u00a0\u2018influence\u2019\u00a0which is being interpreted by police officers to target innocent people who happen to stand in a certain place and believe a certain thing. We will continue to robustly challenge this unjust censorship, and support Isabel\u2019s right to think and believe freely\u00a0as is the right of every person in the UK.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p><p><strong>Investigated for a \u201cthoughtcrime\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><p>On 18\u00a0March 2025, West Midlands Police informed Ms Vaughan-Spruce she was under investigation for praying silently\u00a0near\u00a0the facility on\u00a027\u00a0January 2025, as well as several other\u00a0subsequent\u00a0dates.\u00a0<\/p><p>Ms Vaughan-Spruce has been peacefully praying in the same public area on a\u00a0regular\u00a0basis for two decades.\u00a0<\/p><p>With\u00a0legal\u00a0support from ADF International, Ms Vaughan-Spruce sent\u00a0numerous\u00a0requests for clarification\u00a0in\u00a0proceeding\u00a0months\u00a0as to the status of her case, pointing out that the legislation does not function\u00a0as a ban on her mere presence or on holding pro-life Christian\u00a0beliefs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>The Attorney General confirmed on 16\u00a0December 2025, in response to a parliamentary question from\u00a0former Home Secretary\u00a0Suella Braverman\u00a0MP\u00a0about Ms Vaughan-Spruce\u2019s case, that:\u00a0\u201c<em>The Crown Prosecution Service has issued proceedings under Section 9 of the Public Order Act 2023, in relation to one case, since it was\u00a0commenced\u00a0on 31 October 2024.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/p><p>Ms Vaughan-Spruce had not yet\u00a0received\u00a0information about\u00a0the charging decision when this\u00a0written answer\u00a0was\u00a0issued by the Attorney General, but\u00a0was informed hours later in a letter from West Midlands Police.\u00a0<\/p><p>The length of time taken for a charging decision, nearly one year, was highly unusual for a case like hers.<\/p><p>The charge read: \u201c[Isabel] stood outside of the Robert Clinic [the abortion facility]\u2026 intending that, or being reckless as to whether, it had the effect of influencing any person\u2019s decision to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services at an abortion clinic.\u201d<\/p><p><strong>Repeated injustice over silent \u201cthoughtcrime\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><p>In 2023, the charitable volunteer was\u00a0acquitted in court after being arrested for praying in a local \u201cbuffer zone,\u201d\u00a0under a Public Spaces Protection Order\u00a0that\u00a0banned \u201cexpressions of approval or disapproval\u201d of abortion. The incident occurred while the abortion facility was closed. The prosecution offered no evidence to support a conviction.\u00a0<\/p><p>Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing,\u00a0Ms Vaughan-Spruce\u00a0was arrested again for\u00a0her\u00a0silent thoughts in the same location weeks later\u00a0in March 2023, opening an investigation that lasted several months. In August 2024, Ms Vaughan-Spruce successfully challenged her two unjust arrests and received a settlement from West Midlands Police of \u00a313,000.\u00a0<\/p><p>On regular occasions, she has been approached by officers and asked if she is praying.\u00a0Once, she was\u00a0observed\u00a0by two officers posted to watch her activities.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ff4db50 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"1ff4db50\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e9e8872 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7e9e8872\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Images for free use in print or online in relation to this story only<\/p><p><em>Pictured: Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, Jeremiah Igunnubole<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47339f9b elementor-widget elementor-widget-gallery\" data-id=\"47339f9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" 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data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"47339f9b\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Isabel Praying\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6ODM1OTksInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDFcL0lzYWJlbC1wcmF5aW5nLTEuanBnIiwic2xpZGVzaG93IjoiNDczMzlmOWIifQ%3D%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-praying-1-1024x683.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"683\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-Testimony-2.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"47339f9b\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Xr:d:DAFwHGNWWOY:9,j:4180871097343895678,t:23100212\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6ODM2MDQsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDFcL0lzYWJlbC1UZXN0aW1vbnktMi5qcGciLCJzbGlkZXNob3ciOiI0NzMzOWY5YiJ9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Isabel-Testimony-2.jpg\" data-width=\"500\" data-height=\"500\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jeremiah_Igunnubole_400x400px-1.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"47339f9b\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Jeremiah Igunnubole 400x400px (1)\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6ODM1OTQsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDFcL0plcmVtaWFoX0lndW5udWJvbGVfNDAweDQwMHB4LTEuanBnIiwic2xpZGVzaG93IjoiNDczMzlmOWIifQ%3D%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jeremiah_Igunnubole_400x400px-1.jpg\" data-width=\"400\" data-height=\"400\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charity volunteer Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was previously cleared in court and received a payout from police for being unjustly arrested twice for her silent prayers, has been criminally charged again Ms Vaughan-Spruce will appear in Birmingham Magistrates\u2019 Court on Thursday 29 January at 10am, with the legal support of ADF International Last week, US Vice [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":83589,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[736],"tags":[1069,899,1507,1307,1284,898],"class_list":["post-83588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-buffer-zones-2","tag-free-speech-en-gb","tag-isabel-vaughan-spruce","tag-news-3","tag-silent-prayer-en-gb","tag-uk-en-gb"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - 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