The attacks on free speech continue to ramp up around the world.
And the number one target are peaceful Christian activists.
Now this woman is facing prosecution for simply holding a sign with a very simple and peaceful message.
A retired medical scientist from Bournemouth, UK is set to go to trial on March 6th following charges related to her charitable work supporting women in crisis pregnancies.
To pro-abortion radicals even quietly holding a sign is considered a crime
Livia Tossici-Bolt, 63, was simply holding a sign reading “here to talk, if you want to” near an abortion mill in Bournemouth.
And several women took her up on her offer and approached her to talk about things going on in their lives.
“There’s nothing wrong with offering help. There’s nothing wrong with two adults engaging in a consensual conversation on the street. I shouldn’t be treated like a criminal just for this.” Tossici-Bolt said.
But local authorities clearly don’t agree and confronted Tossici-Bolt, claiming she had breached a local abortion “buffer zone.”
These controversial zones ban “expression of approval or disapproval of abortion”.
They issued a “Fixed Penalty Notice,” which Tossici-Bolt rightfully refused to pay, on the grounds that she did not breach the terms of the PSPO.
She further said she had the right, protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act, to offer consensual conversations.
Her signs mentioned nothing about abortion at all, just that she was willing to talk to anyone.
Tossici-Bolt will face trial at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court on March 6.
The very right to conversation, and silent thought, is on trial
“For several years now, I have been offering a helping hand to women who would like to consider other options to abortion and pointing them to options where they can receive financial and practical support, if that’s what they would like,” said Tossici-Bolt.
Neither the CPS Guidance nor the national legislation state that silent prayer is a crime; rather, it says that criminal actions must be “overt” to meet the threshold.
Yet, in November 2024, Christian army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was convicted for praying silently in his mind for a few minutes on public space across the road from the abortion mill in Bournemouth, where a local “buffer zone” had been enacted through a “Public Spaces Protection Order”.
He is appealing his conviction, and the appeal is slated to be heard in July.
As a result of the arrests over silent prayer, Christians have raised concerns about “two-tier policing” taking place in the UK.
Actual criminals are going free while peaceful Christians are facing prosecution for praying.
It was reported this month that shoplifting crimes have increased by 25% in the past year alone.
Last year, it was reported that violent knife crime in the UK has increased by 80% in the past decade.
Many are questioning the focus of resources on targeting silent prayer, rather than violent crimes.
Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, who was seen being arrested for her silent prayers in a viral video in 2022, said:
“The Home Office’s abrasive and outright dismissal of widespread concerns about “two-tier policing” runs contrary to the experience of countless everyday British people.”
“I have been arrested multiple times, faced an intrusive police investigation, and dragged into court – simply for standing silently on a public street nearby an abortion clinic, praying, imperceptibly, in the privacy of my mind. Meanwhile, how many true criminals roam the streets, unchecked? How many of the perpetrators of the grooming gangs were left unaccountable for their violent and despicable actions towards children?”
Pro-Life Press will keep you up-to-date on any new developments to this ongoing story.
