Woman arrested at anti-abortion protest in Glasgow faces no further action
A pensioner who was the first person in Scotland to be charged for allegedly breaching the nation's abortion buffer zones law will face no further action at this time.
Rose Docherty, 75, was arrested after police were called to an anti-abortion protest near Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in February.
Ms Docherty had been holding a sign that read: "Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want."
The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act came into force last September and aims to prevent protesters from gathering within 200 metres of the 30 clinics around the country where terminations are carried out.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said it had carefully considered Ms Docherty's case and has decided to take no further action at this time.
A spokesperson said: "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."
Ms Docherty, who was supported by the legal team at Alliance Defending Freedom International, had previously rejected a formal warning offered by the Crown Office.
She said: "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."
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