A council in London is consulting local residents on extending a buffer zone even though there have been no violations of the existing one since it was introduced in 2019.
Richmond Council, which has had a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) around an abortion clinic in Twickenham since April 2019, admits that since its implementation, "there have been no known breaches of the restrictions in the buffer zone area and there have been no further petitions, complaints or concerns raised with the Council".
However, despite the fact that laws already exist to prevent intimidation and harassment, the Council is consulting residents on renewing the buffer zone for a further three years.
The existing local buffer zone or PSPO prohibits "engaging in any act of approval or disapproval or attempted act of approval or disapproval, with respect to issues related to abortion services" and explicitly includes prayer and "any form of counselling or interaction with residents or BPAS clients on the street".
The consultation asks residents whether they agree or disagree with the proposal to renew the buffer zone, whether they agree or disagree that the buffer zone has "been effective in reducing the detrimental impact on the locality", and whether they agree or disagree that should the buffer zone not be renewed, activities prohibited by the buffer zone will return and have "detrimental effects" on the locality.
£13,000 payout
The buffer zone consultation will come to a close shortly after a woman who had been arrested twice for silently praying outside an abortion clinic received a £13,000 payout in acknowledgement of her unjust treatment.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce made a claim against West Midlands Police for two wrongful arrests and false imprisonments; assault and battery in relation to an intrusive search of her person; and for a breach of her human rights both in respect to the arrests, and to the onerous bail conditions imposed on her.
Isabel was first arrested in November 2022 after she told police she "might" be silently praying whilst she was standing on a public street near an abortion clinic in Birmingham. She had no signs or outward expression of political views of any kind. She was in complete silence. Police officers, who had received a complaint from an onlooker, approached her and began to ask her what she was doing.
She was searched, arrested and then interrogated. Police showed her pictures of herself standing near the clinic and asked her if she was praying. Isabel said she "might" have been praying but could not recall if she was praying at these specific moments, or whether she was thinking about something else, such as her lunch.
Even though she was acquitted of all charges in February 2023, she was arrested again, just weeks later for allegedly breaching a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which bans protests outside abortion clinics within a designated area.
While Isabel has received an apology and compensation for her treatment at the hands of the police, two other members of the public are set to face trial for alleged offences in locally imposed buffer zones. A military veteran, Adam Smith-Connor who prayed silently about his own encounter with abortion near a facility in Bournemouth is expected to face trial at Poole Magistrates' Court. A pensioner from Dorset, Livia Tossici-Bolt, is also being prosecuted for holding up a sign within an abortion clinic buffer zone reading "Here to talk if you want".
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said, "The buffer zone around the abortion clinic in Twickenham was introduced to tackle a problem for which legislation already exists. If the behaviour of these alleged protests is harassment, the council would not simply move them further down the road but want to stop them entirely.
"Where there is harassment and intimidation it should and can be prevented by existing legislation. What these buffer zones do is criminalise offers of help and alternatives to abortion. It is direct viewpoint discrimination."
