Yesterday, 9 August, a British Army veteran appeared in court on the charge of praying silently outside a BPAS abortion facility in Bournemouth, UK. Pleading “not guilty”, Adam Smith-Connor later stated that he was being prosecuted “for a thought crime”.

Adam Smith-Connor, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, was fined for praying near an abortion facility in Bournemouth on 24 November 2022, as reported by SPUC.

After pleading “not guilty”, Smith-Connor made a statement explaining his case, its context and importance.

“We are standing in the nation of the Magna Carta, the nation which has championed democracy and freedom. We have a history of upholding human rights we can be proud of, and a respect for freedom that I fought to uphold when I served this country for twenty years in the army reserves, including in Afghanistan. Yet here I stand before you on the steps of Poole Magistrates Court being prosecuted – for a thought crime…

“I did not approach anyone, I did not speak to anyone, I did not breach any one’s privacy. I simply stood silently. I am being tried for the prayerful thoughts I held in my head.”

I’m praying for my son

When Smith-Connor prayed silently outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) abortion facility in Bournemouth, he was approached by community “safety” officers who asked him what he was doing.

“Praying for my son, who is deceased”, he replied, referring to his unborn son who was aborted over twenty years in a similar facility. Smith-Connor had helped the mother procure the abortion of his son, Jacob.

The officers told Smith-Connor that he was in breach of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), a “buffer zone”, set in place around the abortion facility since 13 October 2022.

After being fined for praying, Smith-Connor later discovered that the local council charged him in May this year, though he was not informed until July. His trial is set for November.

“Judge, jury, and executioner”

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) UK, which is supporting Smith-Connor’s legal defence, stated that Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council “has not only shown itself to be incapable of impartiality [regarding abortion] but also failed to grasp the gravity of inaugurating thoughtcrime trials in the UK…

“The [buffer] zone was created by the council, enforced by the council and now also prosecuted by the council. This is a remarkable consolidation of power, making the council the judge, jury, and executioner.”

Bournemouth’s buffer zone outlaws all forms of prayers, including making of the sign of the cross.  

Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a pro-life Catholic, has been arrested twice for praying silently outside an abortion facility in Birmingham. A priest, Father Sean Gough, was also arrested in a similar incident.

Meanwhile, Westminster politicians are set to introduce nationwide buffer zone legislation that will criminalise all pro-life activity and religious expression around abortion facilities.

In March, the House of Commons refused to exclude silent prayer from the buffer zones amendment to the Public Order Bill. SPUC condemned the vote as an “outrageous assault on civil liberties”.

SPUC has since produced a free Buffer Zones Fact Sheet that provides an overview of the legal situation regarding the ban on pro-life activities near abortion facilities.

This is about the right to think and pray freely

SPUC’s Michael Robinson, Executive Director (Public Affairs and Legal Services), said: “A father is being persecuted for the ‘crime’ of praying for his dead son, Jacob, whose abortion he profoundly regrets.

“After serving his country for two decades, for Adam Smith-Connor to be brought before a court like this is a disgrace to the idea of freedom that so many of his comrades died to uphold in Afghanistan.

“Centuries-old traditions of free speech and religious freedom are being thrown out to advance abortion ideology and persecute pro-lifers who want to save lives and provide mothers with a way out. Yesterday was a truly dark day for free speech and humanity.

“While pro-abortion ideologues believe in the freedom to kill unborn children, pro-lifers such as Smith-Connor uphold the freedom to live. We must all act now to ensure that the law defends true freedom and Smith-Connor’s right to think and pray freely.

“For an up-to-date overview of the current legal situation in the UK regarding ‘buffer zones’, please check out SPUC’s Buffer Zones Fact Sheet by clicking here.”