A 64-year-old woman has been found guilty of breaching a “buffer zone” outside a Bournemouth abortion clinic.
Livia Tossici-Bolt was convicted at Poole Magistrates’ Court of two charges of breaching the Public Spaces Protection Order on two days in March 2023.
Ms Tossici-Bolt, from Bournemouth, held a sign saying: “Here to talk, if you want.”
District Judge Orla Austin told the court of the defendant: “She lacks insight that her presence could have a detrimental effect on the women attending the clinic, their associates, staff and members of the public.”
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She added: “I accept her beliefs were truly held beliefs. Although it’s accepted this defendant held pro-life views, it’s important to note this case is not about the rights and wrongs about abortion but about whether the defendant was in breach of the PSPO [Public Spaces Protection Order].”
The case is at the centre of a free speech controversy involving the US government.
It was highlighted by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour (DRL), a bureau within the US Department of State, which posted a statement on X saying: “We are monitoring her case. It is important that the UK respect and protect freedom of expression.”
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