‘Concerning’: US gov’t speaks out after Christian woman prosecuted in UK for silently praying

December 29, 2025

The U.S. government has called the case of a British woman, charged under a new U.K. law for silently praying outside an abortion clinic “concerning” and a threat to religious liberty.

The Christian Post reports that Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a 48-year-old Catholic charity volunteer, is the first person to be criminally charged with violating Section 9 of the U.K.’s Public Order Act 2023, which prohibits “influencing” within 150 meters of abortion facilities.

Vaughan-Spruce had been under investigation since January for standing and praying silently near a clinic in Birmingham on numerous occasions.

According to the legal advocacy group ADF International, the new law, which went into effect in October of 2024, replaced local buffer zones with a nationwide prohibition on any act which could influence a person’s decision to access, provide or facilitate abortion services.

Penalties for violating the law include an unlimited fine, according to the Christian Post.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told the Telegraph that the decision to prosecute Vaughan-Spruce “is not only concerning in terms of its impact on respect for the fundamental freedoms of expression and religion or belief, but is also an unwelcome departure from the shared values that ought to underpin U.S.-U.K. relations.”

Vaughan-Spruce was first arrested in December 2022 but that case was dismissed.

She was arrested again in March 2023 but later received a formal apology and a settlement of roughly $17,500 from West Midlands Police.

Her case drew international attention when it was cited by Vice President JD Vance during his speech at the Munich Security Conference.

Photo: top, Credit: ADF International