A fourteen-year-old boy who frequently pickets outside the Morgentaler abortuary in Toronto was recently held in custody overnight by Toronto police. The youth was arrested March 26, for allegedly coming too close to the Morgantaler aborturary. The charge is that he violated restrictions placed on him some three weeks earlier by a Family Court Judge. At that time Robbie, (his real identity cannot be revealed under the Young Offenders Act) was charged, following an incident outside the Morgentaler facility. As a condition of his release, Robbie was ordered to stay 25 feet away from the abortuary.

In the three weeks subsequent to his initial arrest, Robbie continued to picket on Harbord Street, remaining on the far said of a line drawn by three police officers, which marked a 25 foot distance from the abortuary.

Robbie and the pro-lifers on the picket line at the time were considerably shocked on March 26 when abortuary guard Bill Shane summoned the police officers posted near the abortuary and directed them to arrest Robbie. The security guard claimed that the youth had come within 25 feet of the abortuary. The picketers observed that Robbie remained outside the line, although a classmate of his had stood within the 25 foot limit

Kept in Detention

The police officer arrested Robbie and took him to Fourteen Division. Having charged Robbie with breaching his bail condition, the police decided that they would keep him in detention overnight. Their purpose in doing so was to have the youth brought before a bail court so that further restrictions could be placed on him. The Young Offenders Act entitles the police to keep a youth in custody for up to 24 hours in order to bring him before a bail court judge. The following morning, when Robbie was brought to court, the crown attorney announced that she would not request any further bail conditions that that Robbie would be released immediately. Pro-lifers in the courtroom were shocked because the only legal excuse for keeping Robbie in detention was to ask for a further bail conditions.

“It very much appears that the Attorney General intervened in this case,” said Campaign Life Chairman Jim Hughes. “It would be politically embarrassing for him to claim that bail conditions could not be placed on the illegal abortionists operating on Harbord Street, while at the same time two sets of bail conditions are placed on youth protesting outside the abortuary.”

Pro-lifers were quick to react to the arrest. Within hours of Robbie being arrested some 60 pro-lifers formed a picket line outside Fourteen Division police headquarters to protest the arrest and detention of Robbie. When the youth was transferred to a detention center downtown, the pro-lifers followed and held a candlelight vigil outside. The boy’s parents, who were allowed to visit him at the detention center, appreciated the support of the picketers as did Robbie who was aware of their presence and was very touched by it.