At a time of year when most people are preparing for Christmas with joy, no one should be carrying the weight of a criminal prosecution – especially for something as peaceful as offering consensual conversation on a public street.
Yet, this is exactly what confronts Rose Docherty, a Christian grandmother living in Scotland.
On 19 February 2025 – and again on 24 September 2025 – Rose was arrested simply for holding a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want,” in a “buffer zone” in Glasgow.
She wasn’t shouting, blocking anyone’s path, or causing any disturbance. She was simply standing quietly, offering a listening ear to anyone who might have needed a conversation. Yet, for this, she has been treated as a criminal.
ADF UK is coordinating Rose’s legal defence, standing alongside her every step of the way.
Rose’s faith calls her to care for others, especially those in vulnerable situations, yet that very compassion has been criminalised. Few could have imagined that in modern Scotland, one could be arrested for standing silently with a loving message of solidarity.
After Rose’s first arrest, the Procurator Fiscal informed her that she could avoid prosecution if she accepted a warning acknowledging that her actions were criminal and refrained from carrying them out again. With our support, Rose stood firm and refused to accept a warning for something that was not a crime, something protected by her right to free speech, and indeed by the free speech rights of all those wishing to speak with her.
In August 2025, the Procurator Fiscal decided not to proceed with prosecution. Yet this did not stop the police from arresting her a second time just a few months later. During this second arrest, she was held in custody for several hours and denied a chair to sit on, despite having had a double hip replacement.
Rose has now been charged and released on bail. With our legal support, she will be heading to court on 19 December, facing the consequences of simply standing peacefully for what she believes is right.
We have included a video of Rose sharing her testimony: | 
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