Woman arrested at anti-abortion protest faces no further action

A lady who was arrested for participating in an anti-abortion protest outdoors a hospital in Glasgow will face no additional motion.

Rose Docherty, 75, was the primary particular person to be charged below a brand new regulation that created buffer zones outdoors Scottish abortion clinics.

She had been participating in an indication near the Queen Elizabeth College Hospital (QEUH) in February.

Ms Docherty had beforehand rejected a proper warning from the Crown Workplace, telling BBC Scotland Information that it was “unjust”.

The Abortion Providers (Secure Entry Zones) Act, which got here into pressure final yr, goals to cease the harassment of sufferers. Those that break the regulation might be fined as much as £10,000 or a vast quantity in additional severe instances.

The Crown Workplace and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) mentioned it had rigorously thought-about Ms Docherty’s case and determined to take no additional motion.

She mentioned she was “delighted” with the information, including: “I really feel it is a victory for frequent sense.”

Docs on the QEUH beforehand mentioned that the protests, which have been held outdoors the hospital for almost 10 years, had been upsetting and intimidating for sufferers and employees.

On the February protest, Ms Docherty held up an indication that mentioned “coercion is against the law, right here to speak, solely if you’d like”.

Following her arrest, the Crown Workplace despatched her a proper warning.

It mentioned the procurator fiscal had determined in opposition to bringing Ms Docherty earlier than a courtroom and if she accepted the warning she wouldn’t be prosecuted.

However she refused to simply accept the warning as she believed it was “unjust”.

“I simply did what I believed was proper,” she advised BBC Scotland Information on Thursday.

“To be warned for having stood on the streets of Glasgow providing to have a dialog if anybody needs to return and converse to you – it simply appears preposterous.”

She mentioned there was “no want for the laws within the first place” as police have already got powers for coping with intimidation and harassment.

Ms Docherty added: “The procurator fiscal has withdrawn that warning in order that appears to point that I used to be not breaking the regulation.

“This buffer zone regulation is all about intimidation, harassment and influencing.

“There may be nothing intimidatory or harassing about an aged lady standing by the roadside providing to lend a listening ear.”

When requested if she would return to carry an indication outdoors the hospital, she mentioned: “Life strikes on for individuals and I am going to make selections as and after I really feel like I need to do one thing however I do not really feel that I am constrained by being afraid.”

She beforehand advised the BBC’s Scotcast that she would have been ready to go to jail over the incident.

A Crown Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “Skilled prosecutors from COPFS thought-about the report. All Scotland’s prosecutors function independently of political affect.

“After cautious consideration of the details and circumstances of the case, together with the accessible admissible proof, it was determined that there needs to be no additional motion taken presently.

“The Crown reserves the best to take proceedings in relation to this incident sooner or later.”

The abortion zones law was introduced into pressure final September.

It was drawn up by Scottish Greens MSP Gillian Mackay, who mentioned ladies searching for the process had been subjected to “completely unacceptable abuse and obstruction” outdoors hospitals.

Inside the buffer zones, it’s a legal offence to behave in a means that might affect the selections of ladies and employees to entry providers.

Stopping ladies and employees from coming into the clinics or in any other case inflicting alarm, harassment or misery can be an offence.

The regulation prevents any protests or vigils from happening inside 200m (650ft) of 30 clinics across the nation.

Dr Greg Irwin, a physician on the QEUH, was pictured confronting a group of protesters in February 2023.

On the time, he mentioned that the anti-abortion activists had been “bullying” ladies attempting to entry healthcare and “upsetting” employees on the hospital.

Dr Irwin described the protests as “an unbelievably merciless and unkind factor to do”.

US Vice-President JD Vance, who’s currently visiting Scotland on a household vacation, criticised the buffer zones earlier this yr.

He used the law as an example of Europe not defending free speech sufficient and claimed individuals who stay inside secure entry zones had been despatched letters by the Scottish authorities warning them about praying inside their houses.

A Scottish authorities spokesperson mentioned it had not despatched such letters, and that solely “intentional or reckless behaviour” was coated by the act.