Rose Docherty was arrested as she stood near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
Rose Docherty(Image: Daily Record)
A pensioner who was arrested at an anti-abortion protest has had the case against her dropped by prosecutors.
Rose Docherty, 75, was arrested as she stood near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
She was holding a sign which read: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want”.
The grandmother became the first person to be arrested and charged under a new law which created buffer zones outside Scottish abortion clinics in February.
She was accused of ‘influencing the decision of another person to access, provide or facilitate the provision of abortion services at the protected premises’.
But it has now emerged prosecutors have decided no further action should be taken against her at this time. The Crown Office said they ‘reserve the right’ to take proceedings in the future.
Speaking about the decision, Ms Docherty told LBC: “This is a victory not just for me, but for everyone in Scotland who believes we should be free to hold a peaceful conversation. I stood with love and compassion, ready to listen to anyone who wanted to talk. “Criminalising kindness has no place in a free society.”
She has also been told her sign will be returned to her. Ms Docherty was supported by the group ADF International.
Police speak with 40 Days for life Abortion protesters near QUEH hospital in Glasgow(Image: DAILY RECORD)
Lorcan Price, Irish barrister and legal counsel for ADF said: “No one should fear arrest for offering a consensual conversation. Rose’s case is a stark example of how ‘buffer zone’ laws can be weaponised to silence peaceful expression. We are relieved that common sense has prevailed, but the fact that Rose was arrested and threatened with prosecution shows the urgent need to protect fundamental freedoms in Scotland.”
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act came into effect in September last year, a month before the introduction of similar legislation in England and Wales.
Under the law, protestors who come within 200m of clinics face fines of up to £10,000.
In a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February, US Vice President JD Vance claimed that the Scottish Government had sent letters warning people against praying inside their own homes if they were within buffer zone areas.
Ministers responded denying that claim and stating that the new legislation had been ‘carefully drafted to capture only intentional or reckless behaviour close to a small number of premises providing abortion services’.
A young mother joined the 40 Days for life Abortion protest near QUEH hospital in Glasgow(Image: DAILY RECORD)
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said: “The procurator fiscal received a report relating to a 75-year-old female and an incident said to have occurred on February 19, 2025.
“Professional prosecutors from COPFS considered the report. All Scotland’s prosecutors operate independently of political influence.
“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, it was decided that there should be no further action taken at this time.
“The Crown reserves the right to take proceedings in relation to this incident in the future.”
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