PULSE POINTS:

What Happened: A pro-life activist was found guilty of violating a “buffer zone” outside an abortion clinic in Britain and received a two-year conditional discharge, along with the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Who’s Involved: Livia Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist, Poole Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Orla Austin, the U.S. Department of State, and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

Where & When: Poole Magistrates’ Court in Bournemouth, England. The decision was announced on April 4 after incidents in March 2023.

Key Quote: Livia Tossici-Bolt stated, “This is a dark day for Great Britain. I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone.”

Impact: The case has raised concerns regarding freedom of expression, as highlighted by U.S. officials.

IN FULL:

A British judge has convicted a pro-life campaigner, Livia Tossici-Bolt, for breaching a “buffer zone” around an abortion clinic. The 64-year-old woman was handed a two-year conditional discharge and ordered to pay the equivalent of $25,700 toward court costs, alongside a $33,400 victim surcharge, for her actions outside the abortionist facility in March 2023. The so-called buffer zone, established by the municipal government, spans 10 streets.

District Judge Orla Austin emphasized the need to “balance” freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights with the rights of women visiting abortionists. The court found Tossici-Bolt guilty of displaying a sign simply saying, “Here to talk, if you want.”

Tossici-Bolt expressed dismay over the ruling, saying, “This is a dark day for Great Britain. I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone.”

Her case caught the attention of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, & Labour (DRL). “We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression,” the bureau said.

The United Kingdom has some of the strictest laws in the Western world regarding abortion clinics. People have even been arrested and convicted for as little as silently praying in their heads near abortionists.

Last year, a poll of members of the British parliament revealed a majority wanted to decriminalize abortion all the way up to birth.

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