Woman found guilty in UK abortion free speech case monitored by US

By Gerhard Mey

POOLE, England (Reuters) - An anti-abortion activist, whose case has attracted the attention of the United States over free speech concerns, was found guilty on Friday of breaching an order which banned protest outside a clinic in southern England.

Livia Tossici-Bolt, 64, the leader of a branch of U.S. Christian group '40 Days for Life', was prosecuted for breaching a "safe zone" in the immediate area around the abortion clinic in the southern town of Bournemouth on two days in March 2023. She was holding a sign that read "Here to talk, if you want".

The case comes amid growing accusations in the U.S. of infringements on free speech in Britain. U.S. Vice-President JD Vance confronted Prime Minister Keir Starmer face to face at the White House on the issue, and said in February he feared free speech in Britain was "in retreat".

An intervention on Sunday by the Democracy, Human Rights, & Labor (DRL) department of the U.S. State Department propelled the case to the front pages of UK newspapers, with suggestions it could have far-reaching diplomatic implications.

"We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression," the DRL said on X.

Tossici-Bolt was taken to court after refusing to pay a fixed fine for breaching an order that has banned protests in an area around the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) clinic since 2022 over concerns that women who attended were being subjected to harassment and intimidation.

Following a trial last month, Judge Orla Austin convicted Tossici-Bolt at Poole Magistrates' Court on Friday of breaching the order, saying the activist was not lawfully exercising her right to freedom of expression.

Tossici-Bolt was given a conditional discharge, meaning she must not commit further offences for two years, and was ordered to pay 20,000 pounds ($26,028) in legal costs.

FREE SPEECH CONCERNS

With Britain seeking to strike a U.S. trade deal to avoid tariffs, some British media have suggested the issue could impact negotiations, although business minister Jonathan Reynolds has said it had not come up in discussions.

"The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy but it does not give people the right to harass others," Starmer's spokesperson said.

Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist originally from Italy whose defence was being paid for by the U.S. Christian legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, said it was "a dark day for Great Britain".

"I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone," she said in a statement. "The U.S. State Department was right to be concerned by this case as it has serious implications for the entire Western world."

Last year the activist challenged the legality of the safe zone at London's High Court, but her claims that it breached her human rights were dismissed. Judges said the context was critical and that silent prayer or handing out leaflets in such circumstances could be detrimental to others.

Tossici-Bolt is the second anti-abortion campaigner to be convicted for breaching the zone outside the Bournemouth clinic. Last November, a man was prosecuted for silently praying for his unborn son who was aborted, a case Vance has previously raised.

"You see in Europe people arrested for praying, and you have the police asking them what are you praying about as if it was any of the police's business," Vance said on Tuesday.

Since last October, safe zones have now been brought in around all clinics and hospitals providing abortion services. BPAS said there had been 500 reports of harassment in Bournemouth before the zone was brought into force there.

"This case was never about global politics but about the simple ability of women to access legal healthcare free from harassment," Heidi Stewart, BPAS chief executive, said.

($1 = 0.7684 pounds)

(Reporting by Michael Holden, Sarah Young and Elizabeth Young; writing by Michael Holden, Editing by Paul Sandle and Gareth Jones)