LIVERPOOL, England (OSV News) – The U.S. State Department has expressed concern over the prosecution of a British woman for holding up a sign outside an abortion clinic that read: "Here to talk, if you want."
Livia Tossici-Bolt, a retired scientist, was found guilty at an April 4 trial of infringing a 492-feet, or 15-meter, exclusion or "buffer" zone around an abortion clinic in Bournemouth, a town on the south coast of England.
The 64-year-old Christian and the leader of a branch of the U.S. group "40 Days for Life" was prosecuted for holding up a sign over two consecutive days in March 2023. Because of the U.S. intervention, her case made front-page headlines in the U.K. over the weekend.
District Judge Orla Austin, sitting at Poole Magistrates' Court, found Tossici-Bolt guilty, gave her a conditional discharge April 4 and ordered her to pay prosecution costs of £20,000 ($25,710) by May 31.
Later the same day, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor said on X that it was "disappointed with the UK court's conviction of Livia Tossici-Bolt for violating a designated buffer zone at an abortion clinic. Freedom of expression must be protected for all."
Responding to the intervention of the U.S. government, Tossici-Bolt said: "My conviction for offering consensual conversation has been very difficult, not only for me personally, but also because I care deeply about preserving freedom of expression in the UK.
"I am encouraged to know that the United States Department of State is following my case closely," she said in a statement.
"I am grateful, and hope this encourages this country to take a close look at what it means to convict someone for nothing more than offering conversation," she continued.
Tossici-Bolt was prosecuted after she refused to pay a fine called a fixed penalty notice as a punishment for holding up the sign.
She said she believed she had not breached the terms of the Public Space Protection Order, or PSPO – which bans acts of approval and disapproval of abortion in the vicinity of the clinic – and had the right, protected under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act, to offer consensualconversations.
During the trial, Judge Austin ruled, however, that council officers had a reasonable belief that Tossici-Bolt was in violation of the PSPO that was imposed by the local authority.
Tossici-Bolt was convicted even though the court accepted that "the sign made no reference to pregnancy, abortion, or religious matters" and heard evidence from one council officer that "he did not witness her intimidating or harassing any individual."
Judge Austin told the court that Tossico-Bolt "lacks insight that her presence could have a detrimental effect on the women attending the clinic, their associates, staff and members of the public," The Telegraph reported.
"I accept her beliefs were truly held beliefs," the judge said. "Although it's accepted (that) this defendant had pro-life views, it's important to note this case is not about the rights and wrongs of abortion but about whether the defendant was in breach of the PSPO."
Afterwards, Tossici-Bolt said: "This is a dark day for Great Britain."
She emphasized she "was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone."
In an April 4 statement, she said: "All I did was offer consensual conversation in a public place, as is my basic right, and yet the court found me guilty.
"Freedom of expression is in a state of crisis in the UK. What has happened to this country?" she asked, adding that the State Department "was right to be concerned by this case as it has serious implications for the entire Western world."
She added: "I remain committed to fighting for free speech, not only for my own sake but for all my fellow citizens.
"If we allow this precedent of censorship to stand, nobody's right to freely express themselves is secure."
Tossici-Bolt is considering whether to appeal against her conviction in conjunction with ADF International, a legal organization that has supported both her and Catholic war veteran Adam Smith-Connor, who in October was found guilty for silently praying in a buffer zone.
Smith-Connor's case was cited by the U.S. Vice President JD Vance in a Feb. 14 speech to the Munich Security Conference, in which he warned Europe over the alarming erosion of basic freedoms. Smith-Connor will appeal his conviction in a July hearing.
The State Department revealed March 30 that it was "monitoring" the Tossici-Bolt's case, saying on X that "U.S.-UK relations share a mutual respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms," at the same time expressing concerns "about freedom of expression in the United Kingdom."
Asked about the comment, a source familiar with trade negotiations between the U.S. and the U.K. told a reporter from the London-based Daily Telegraph newspaper there would be "no free trade without free speech."
Robert Clarke, ADF International director of advocacy, said: "The United States Department of State put the UK on notice earlier this week when it highlighted Livia's case.
"We are grateful for the awareness this has generated regarding the egregious failure of justice that is her conviction for offering consensual conversation," he said in an April 4 statement.
"The State Department has every reason to be disappointed by the verdict," he added. "Her conviction is a loss for everyone committed to the protection of fundamental freedoms."
In September 2023, Police in England apologized to a Catholic woman six months after she was arrested for praying silently outside an abortion facility. Isabel Vaughan-Spruce was arrested in March of that year outside a British Pregnancy Advisory Services clinic in Birmingham by two uniformed officers from West Midlands Police – her case ended with a notification that she will not be prosecuted.
