A 64-year-old grandmother and pro-life campaigner was convicted Friday of merely holding a sign peacefully outside an abortion facility in the UK.
Livia Tossici-Bolt was convicted of breaching a anti-free speech buffer zone outside an abortion center in Bournemouth, sparking outrage over what critics call a crackdown on free speech in the United Kingdom.
Tossici-Bolt, a retired medical scientist, was found guilty at Poole Magistrates’ Court of violating a Public Spaces Protection Order on two occasions in March 2025.
She had been holding a sign that read, “Here to talk, if you want,” within a restricted 500-foot zone around the Dorset abortion clinic, an act prosecutors argued disrupted the privacy and safety of women seeking abortions.
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District Judge Orla Austin ruled that Tossici-Bolt’s presence could have a “detrimental effect” abortion center customers, their companions, staff, and the public, despite her claim that she was merely offering consensual conversation. The court handed her a two-year conditional discharge and ordered her to pay 20,000 pounds ($26,000) in costs.
“I was not protesting and did not harass or obstruct anyone,” Tossici-Bolt said after the verdict, according to The Telegraph. “The U.S. State Department was right to be concerned by this case as it has serious implications for the entire Western world.”
BREAKING: Pro-Life grandma Livia Tossici-Bolt condemns the court ruling that denied her pro-life free speech outside an abortion clinic.https://t.co/zTEUiousxq pic.twitter.com/hSYeeF39ah
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) April 4, 2025
The case has drawn international attention, with the U.S. State Department announcing earlier this week it was “monitoring” the situation, citing concerns over freedom of expression in the UK. The department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor noted that a senior adviser had met with Tossici-Bolt, who leads the Bournemouth branch of the anti-abortion group 40 Days for Life.
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, a Christian legal group supporting Tossici-Bolt, condemned the ruling as an assault on free speech.
“Livia’s criminal prosecution for merely offering consensual conversation highlights in a particular way that free speech is now becoming a major point of contention between the US and UK,” said Lorcan Price, ADF International’s legal counsel.
Rosalind Comyn, Tossici-Bolt’s defense attorney, emphasized her client’s clean record and non-confrontational intent. But the judge remained unmoved, pointing to a lack of “insight” into the potential impact of her actions.
The conviction follows a similar case in Bournemouth last year, when a military veteran was found guilty of silently praying near an aboriton clinic, a ruling critics dubbed a “thoughtcrime.” Together, these incidents have fueled claims that the UK is sliding toward censorship, with Tossici-Bolt vowing to continue her fight.
“I will not stop standing for freedom of speech,” she said, per LifeNews.com, which has tracked her legal battle since it began in February.
The ruling comes amid broader debates over UK-U.S. relations, with some suggesting Tossici-Bolt’s case could complicate trade talks. A source familiar with negotiations told The Telegraph there should be “no free trade without free speech,” a sentiment echoed by U.S. officials monitoring the situation.
For now, Tossici-Bolt’s supporters see her as a symbol of resistance against what they call an overreach of state power, while her detractors argue the law rightfully prioritizes women’s access to healthcare without interference.
