BY FREDDY GRAY
A WHEELCHAIR-bound Catholic woman has said that she is willing to face imprisonment for sending images of aborted foetuses to pharmacists that stock the morningafter pill.
Mrs Veronica Connolly, 49, was arrested on charges of harassment and maliciously sending obscene pictures.
But she told the Herald this week: “I am very proud of what I have done. I am absolutely willing to go to prison. If that is what it takes then that is what it takes. They can’t suppress the truth about the killing of unborn children.” If found guilty, Mrs Connolly wants to take the case further, as far as the Court of Appeal in order to attract attention to the abortion issue.
“If what I am doing can save the life of just one unborn child then I am prepared to fight this for ever. I will do anything for these poor babies,” she said.
“People say to me: ‘How can you send such horrific images?’ I say ‘Well it’s the truth. That is what abortion is.’ ” Mrs Connolly, who has suffered from a neurological disorder for four and a half years, telephoned several local pharmacists and asked if they sold the morning-after pill.
“Most of the staff thought that the pill was an emergency contraceptive and not abortion,” she said. “I tried to explain that the pill was in fact abortion.” Ms Connolly then sent the images to Boots, Lloyds, Co-op and Asda stores as well as some smaller pharmacists.
She was arrested and told to return to the police station on July 13. “I told them that I wasn’t going anywhere and they would have to come and get me if they wanted me,” she said.
Police took her fingerprints and samples of her DNA. She appeared in Solihull Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to three charges of harassment. The trial will be held on October 6 and 7.
In another case, in June two pro-life campaigners were accosted by community support officers for displaying an image of an aborted foetus.
Maureen Day, 67, and her friend Brian Martelli, were challenged outside the Marie Stopes abortion clinic in Ealing, west London. Miss Day was holding a picture of a dead foetus. She was asked to hand over the image as one of the officers called for back-up.
In July thugs allegedly assaulted Miss Day and Mr Martelli as they continued their protests. Mr Martelli’s banner, which read “Abortion kills babies and hurts women”, was smashed.
Ms Day was able to call the police and the assailants fled. “But when the police did come, they were not very helpful to us,” she said.
Julia Millington, political director of the ProLife Alliance, said that these cases raised important questions about freedom of speech in Britain.
“One could also question whether this is an appropriate use of public money,” she added.