Women Walk Free

Two women, charged with L605,000 worth of criminal damage, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court on Monday 29th March to hear that all charges against them had been dropped. The three hundred supporters who gathered in the rain outside the court were kept entertained by music and street theatre. A flag, bearing a crossed scythe and spade over a biohazard symbol, was flown from the court's flag pole.

The women faced up to ten years in prison for 'conspiracy to cause criminal damage' after taking part in the destruction of a crop of genetically modified maize on 3rd August 1998 from a test site near Totnes in Devon.

After seven months of severe bail conditions, which included a 10pm curfew, the defendant's lawyers received a highly unusual one-line letter saying that "for complex reasons the Crown intend to offer no evidence in the above case." The Director of Public Prosecutions himself appears to have felt that the planned defence of 'lawful excuse' would have stood up, creating an unwanted precedent. There was certainly no lack of evidence against the two women as both have always admitted damaging the maize.

One of the women commented: 'this decision shows that we were right to stand up to the bullying of the biotech companies. I hope this encourages other communities to take action to protect our environment.'

Prior to the planting of the crop, six hundred local people had marched to the test site in protest. When this failed to persuade the government to halt the trial, the crop was removed by about 20 people. Ten others were also arrested on the day but it now seems unlikely that any of their cases will come to court. In the weeks after the arrests, 3000 local people signed a statement saying that they felt that the action taken to remove the maize was in the public interest.

Contact: Totnes Genetics Group 01803 867951 or 07957 188621.