SILENT PRAYER CRIMINALISED (March for Life) 17-10-24

Today we have heard the result of the trial of Adam Smith-Connor who was accused of breaking the PSPO in 2022 in Bournemouth when he silently prayed for his aborted son inside the buffer zone. The judge who presided over his gruelling three day long trial last month has shockingly found Adam guilty of breaching the PSPO zone and given him a two year conditional discharge along with an instruction to pay £9000 in costs.
Wednesday a terrible day for freedom in Britain.

After a gruelling two-year legal battle, Adam Smith-Connor received his verdict at Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court this morning: Guilty.

Guilty for peacefully living out his faith. Guilty for “slightly bowing” his head in prayer in public.

Guilty for thinking of his son who was sadly lost due to an abortion many years ago.

So, what happens next?

Adam has been ordered to pay £9,000 towards the costs that the council spent on his prosecution and we at ADF UK are examining the possibilities of appealing his case.

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“The court has decided that certain thoughts – silent thoughts – can be illegal in the United Kingdom. That cannot be right. All I did was pray to God, in the privacy of my own mind – and yet I stand convicted as a criminal?”

Adam’s words reverberate with the anguish of a man whose faith and freedom have been denied.

Engaging in silent prayer is one of the most basic human rights protected by international law—or at least it should be.

This is a watershed moment for British freedoms and one we must not take lightly.

Commenting on the trial, former MP Miriam Cates said:

“This isn’t 1984, but 2024 - nobody should be on trial for the mere thoughts they hold in their mind. It’s outrageous that the local council are pouring taxpayer funding into prosecuting a thoughtcrime, at a time where resources are stretched thin. Buffer zone regulations are disproportionately wide, leaving innocent people vulnerable to prosecution merely for offering help, or simply holding their own beliefs.”

While “Father of the House” Sir Edward Leigh MP said:

“It is disgraceful that in Britain in 2024 someone can be put on trial for praying silently in his head. Unfortunately, we have seen repeated cases of free speech under threat in the UK when it comes to the expression of Christian beliefs. To offer a prayer silently in the depths of your heart cannot be an offence."

The government must clarify urgently that freedom of thought is protected as a basic human right.
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Thank you for your ongoing support for Adam.

Please continue to keep him and his family in your prayers during this difficult time.