Polish Canadian for Life demonstrate in Ottawa in support of Mary Wagner on the day of sentencing in Toronto Sept. 12.
In August, Ontario Court Justice Rick Libman found Mary Wagner guilty of mischief and breach of probation stemming from charges for a Dec. 12, 2016 incident at the Bloor West Village Women’s Clinic in Toronto. Libman invited character references in advance of sentencing on Sept. 12. Campaign Life Coalition encouraged supporters to write letters of support for Wagner to be sent to the judge before sentencing.
The international pro-life community responded, sending more than 34,400 emails and 1,075 letters. Furthermore, 67,000 people signed a petition supporting Wagner. Much of the support came from Poland, where the Polish Association of Defence of Human Life remembered Wagner’s intentions at Mass in Krakow days before the sentencing and 65 supporters of Polish Canadians for Life demonstrated in Ottawa on Sept. 12 to show support for the pro-life activist.”
Wagner, 43, told LifeSiteNews, “I was really surprised at the volume. I didn’t know what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect the thousands and thousands that had come.”
Campaign Life Coalition national president Jim Hughes told The Interim he did expected an outpouring of support for Wagner but not necessarily one as large as what was received, and said the volume indicates “the police and courts are out of sync with public opinion on whether Mary Wagner is doing anything wrong, anything that should be a crime.”
Wagner enters abortion facilities to talk to women considering abortions and offering pregnant mothers alternatives to abortion. She has been charged in the past with trespassing.
Libman said he would only consider character references from people who knew Wagner. Many letters were from women who said they wished someone like Wagner had talked them out of the abortions they had. One wrote: “I know one thing, if I had met a person like Mary Wagner when it was about to happen, my life would have been different.” Libman did not consider those letters legally relevant.
Libman sentenced Wagner to 30 months probation, 50 hours of community service, and required her to stay 250 meters away from the Bloor West Village Women’s Clinic. He said, “society would not be served” by having Wagner serve further time in jail. Wagner does not accept bail conditions and thus was in jail from December until being released in June. See excerpts of letters in support of Mary HERE
