West Midlands police in the United Kingdom have finally dropped charges against a woman arrested last March for a second “crime” of silently praying inside the censored zone of an abortion clinic. Isabelle Vaughan-Sprouce also received a pardon from the police department to complete the six-month investigation.
In this regard, Vaughan-Sprouse, a pro-life volunteer and co-director of March for Life UK, emailed West Midlands Police why they dropped the charges against her. The police told her that they had dropped the investigation as the “practical limitation of September 6” had expired.
“There will be no further investigation into the alleged matter and no further action will be taken,” a police spokesperson said.
According to FaithWireThe police’s decision not to prosecute Vaughan-Spruce came after UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman issued an open letter to police departments across the country urging them to refrain from politicizing the police.
Therefore, the Alliance for Freedom UK (ATF UK), which supported Von-Sprouse, said Braverman’s letter did not outlaw silent prayer, adding that “having legitimate opinions, even if these opinions may offend others, is not a crime.”
In a statement, Vaughan-Sprouse said she should never have been arrested or questioned for her own thoughts. He welcomed West Midlands Police’s decision to close the investigation and apologized for the time it took to do so, but noted the importance of highlighting the damaging implications of the experience.
“What happened to me signals to others that if they too are caught exercising their basic freedom of thought, they too can be arrested, questioned, interrogated and prosecuted. Since the authorities have twice agreed that silent prayer is not a crime (…) I am grateful to resume my practice of silent prayer for women.” ,” he concluded.
