Has prayer become a ‘thought crime?’

Ann-Louise Graham discusses the arrest of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce for praying outside an abortion clinic, and says this case highlights the risks of criminalizing religious expression.

Last week, my home city of Birmingham became the focus of what has been dubbed the first “thought crime” case to be prosecuted in 21st century Britain. The case centres around the arrest and prosecution of Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, a Christian woman who was arrested in 2023 for silently praying outside an abortion clinic in south Birmingham.