Grandmother Charged with a Crime for Providing Support Near Abortion Clinic in Scotland

75-Year-Old Woman Charged Over Abortion Clinic Sign

A 75-year-old woman from Glasgow has been criminally charged for displaying a sign near an abortion clinic, marking what could be the first prosecution under Scotland’s new buffer zone laws.

Rose Docherty, a pro-life activist, faces two charges related to the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zone) law. Her sign, which read “Coercion is a crime, we’ll talk here, only if you want,” was shown around the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital between September 2024 and February 2025.

A legal group, ADF International, is supporting her defense, arguing that her actions were peaceful and consensual. Docherty stated, “People should not be treated as criminals for inviting them to have a conversation with me and for listening.”

She emphasized that she was merely offering conversations rooted in love and compassion, asserting that no one should face criminal charges for seeking to engage with others.

The charges stem from a law set to be enforced in 2024, which criminalizes any form of influence or harassment within 200 meters of a facility providing abortions. Additionally, Docherty was arrested again in September for holding a sign near the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association abortion clinic.

During her detention, she reported that she was not given a chair despite having undergone double hip replacement surgery, highlighting what she felt was an unjust treatment by the authorities.

Lois McClutch-Miller, ADF International’s Scottish spokeswoman, asserted, “It is not a crime to chat on the streets of Glasgow.” She described the situation as one involving a peaceful grandmother merely offering to speak with anyone interested.

News of Docherty’s arrest has also drawn criticism from the US State Department, which remarked that this incident exemplifies the suppression of free speech occurring in Europe. “The United States will always speak out against violations of these fundamental rights,” they noted.

At the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President J.D. Vance pointed to Scotland’s buffer zone law as a significant threat to freedom of expression in Europe.

Though Docherty appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on December 19, she did not enter a plea. She was released on bail afterward, with previous restrictions lifted, and her next hearing is scheduled for January 13, 2026.