A woman who had an abortion after being sexually assaulted has spoken out in support of pro-life vigils and has condemned attempts to introduce buffer zones. The brave woman has spoken out ahead of the Second Reading of a bill which is seeking to ban pro-life vigils outside abortion clinics.

Amy had an abortion when she was 18 years old after being sexually assaulted by her boyfriend.

Speaking in support of pro-life vigils outside abortion clinics, Amy said: “The moments before my abortion took place, I was looking around the hospital, wondering if there was an alternative. I found nothing on that day, and unfortunately I went back and I went through with the abortion. And since that time, I’ve realised that what I was looking for was somebody, anybody, with an alternative…I was looking for anyone with a ray of hope. Sometimes you do just somebody to say ‘there is an alternative’ and here’s a number, here’s my number.

“I’ve seen people with signs saying ‘if you’re pregnant and need help come here.’ Well if I had seen that that day I would have been there, and I would have got some different advice and my story would have ended very differently.

“To remove people from praying outside clinics or being present outside clinics, it just isolates women who hare having a crisis all the more. That might have been the only opportunity they had to speak to anyone who could offer them real counselling. And that is the last step before it’s too late. It’s a total disgrace in my mind that anyone could consider moving people.”

Six months in prison for helping women like Amy

Pro-abortion MP Rupa Huq has brought forward a bill which aimed at banning pro-life vigils outside abortion clinics with a penalty of up to six months in prison for anyone expressing an opinion on abortion within 150 metres of an abortion clinic.

Alithea Williams, SPUC’s campaigns and parliamentary research assistant, said: “It is frankly staggering that Rupa Huq wants to hand out lengthy jail sentences to peaceful pro-life citizens for simply offering help to women in need. Only the presence of a pro-life person, right at the gate, can give them the last minute support they need to make a different choice. Seeking to ban this, let alone imprisoning people for showing compassion, is an act of abortion extremism.”

Alithea Williams continued: “Moves to ban pro-life vigils by imposing buffer zones around abortion clinics are a shocking assault on freedom of speech and assembly.

“However, what is more important is that buffer zones deny vulnerable women the vital chance to hear a different perspective, and to receive the help offered to choose life for their baby. We must keep the right to save lives.”

SPUC is gathering signatures for a petition calling on the Home Secretary/Scottish Justice Secretary to uphold the right of peaceful, law-abiding pro-life citizens to save the lives of unborn children and to offer help to pregnant women directly outside abortion clinics and to reject any measure to restrict this activity.

You can sign the petition here.