75 year old grandmother sentenced to two years in prison for praying outside American abortion clinic

Media Release 12 June 2024

The book of Proverbs states- “Rescue those being dragged to the slaughter, tarry not to come to their aid”

God calls all of us to rescue the unborn who are taken to abortion facilities to be poisoned, sucked out of their mother’s wombs or to be violently and painfully dismembered.

Right to Life believes that outside each abortion clinic there should be a sign which reads: This clinic is open with the permission of the local churches.

The rescue movement in New Zealand was led by Dame Colleen Bayer, in Auckland, who was arrested with 100 others for praying outside an Auckland abortion clinic. Gwen Story, who acted alone in Wellington, was sentenced twice to six months in prison for praying peacefully outside the Parkview abortion clinic. Father Patrick Kennedy and 5 others in Christchurch were arrested on four occasions for praying outside the Lyndhurst abortion clinic.and Fintan and Columbine Devine were the first to be arrested for praying peacefully outside Parkview clinic in Wellington in 1988.

Right to Life applauds the love and courage of Paulette Harlow, a 75 year old American grandmother and her eight companions who responded to the plight of unborn children who were being dragged to their slaughter at a late term abortion clinic in Washington DC in October 2020,their response was to peacefully pray outside the abortion clinic.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced 75-year-old Pro-lifer Paulette Harlow to prison for 2 years; along with 36 months of supervised release. Her companions had been sentenced to prison in May 2024, one for nearly five years. Paulette was the mother of six children, four of them being adopted.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly handed down the sentence, along with 36 months of supervised release, because of her part in a prayer and hymn singing at a notorious late-term abortion mill in Washington, D.C.

In November 2023, Paulette was convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act and of “conspiracy against civil rights.” The civil rights that were breached were “the right of women to have their babies killed before they were born”.

Paulette had been under house arrest since November 2023 because of her rapidly declining health. Her husband pleaded with the court for mercy because of his wife’s declining health and feared that she might die in prison.

He pleaded with the Judge… We’re throwing ourselves on the mercy of the court,” Judge Kollar-Kotelly dismissed his concerns.

Paulette in her defence stated to the court, “We were there because we are compassionate, we do care, and we love them,” she said. “It’s despicable that in this country we have pregnant women and we can’t do anything to help them except offer to kill their child. That’s not help at all,” she stated. “It’s not good healthcare when one of the people involved has to die,” she observed, adding, “I don’t think women are being cared for properly in this country. Offering them abortion is only taking advantage of them when they are afraid.”

Ken Orr,

Spokesperson,

Right to Life New Zealand Inc.