Rudd orders study of pro-life protests outside abortion clinics

New laws could be introduced to prevent women being harassed and intimidated outside abortion clinics, the Home Office has said, writes Bernadette Kehoe.

The home secretary, Amber Rudd, has ordered an assessment of protests outside clinics saying it was “unacceptable” that anyone should feel “harassed or intimidated simply for exercising their legal right to healthcare advice and treatment”.

However, anti-abortion campaigners said it was “ludicrous” to call for new powers, because women were not being harassed.

Ms Rudd said the review would provide firm recommendations: “The decision to have an abortion is already an incredibly personal one, without women being further pressured by aggressive protesters.” The Home Office review will hear from police forces, healthcare providers and local authorities to understand the scale and nature of anti-abortion protests, before deciding on what further action the Government might take. Officials will also make international comparisons.

Antonia Tully of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children accused the home secretary of using misleading and inflammatory terms: “It is completely ludicrous to suggest introducing new powers to stop small numbers of peaceful people praying outside abortion clinics and offering leaflets to women. Women are not being harassed. Pro-life counsellors cannot force a woman not to have an abortion.”

In October, a west London council backed a proposal that would ban protesters from gathering outside an abortion clinic. Labour MP, Rupa Huq, who has campaigned for a change in the law, has called for a buffer zone and a ban on praying, singing hymns, displaying images of foetuses and leaflet distribution. “The complete anonymity of women seeking terminations should be protected as one would expect with any other NHS procedure,” she said. The Good Counsel Network, which organised the vigils, denied harassing women.

Last month, Portsmouth city council voted “to do all within its powers” to prevent pro-life vigils outside a BPAS abortion clinic. A daily vigil, held in Portsmouth for a week last month, was attended by Bishop Philip Egan who at the time tweeted: “Just back from 40 Days for Life vigil outside Portsmouth abortion clinic. Please pray for the brave participants and for an end to abortion.”

He said the vote was “yet another example of the ever more draconian restrictions being placed on freedom of religious expression”.