A woman has been arrested for PRAYING in an English street. The pro-life activist was charged with breaching an exclusion zone outside a Birmingham abortion clinic. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, aged 45, from Malvern in Worcestershire, was arrested near the abort-for-profit BPAS Robert Clinic in Kings Norton on December 6th.
She was later charged with breaking a Public Space Protection Order, said by Birmingham City Council to have been introduced to ensure “people visiting and working there have clear access without fear of confrontation”. Vaughan-Spruce will appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on February 2nd next year.
A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, aged 45 from Geraldine Road, Malvern, was arrested on December 6 and subsequently charged on December 15 with four counts of failing to comply with a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO). She was bailed to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on February 2 2023.”
A PSPO order came into force on September 7, banning all abortion protests outside the clinic. Following consultation, the size of the proposed map was reduced so as not to include nearby schools or churches.
On granting the order, a Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “Our Community Safety Team are aware of recent activities around Robert Clinic in Station Road, Kings Norton. We are working with residents and West Midlands Police to monitor the situation, as the remit of the PSPO cannot be extended unless there is evidence to support the need.