Government apologises for historic forced adoptions

Responding to the apology, Cathy Ashley, Chief Executive of Family Rights Group, said:

“The Prime Minister today has rightly apologised for the inhumane practice that shames our society, namely that “mothers, many young, vulnerable, and without support were coerced, bullied, or misled into feeling that they had no choice but to have their children taken away from them.” Children permanently separated from their parents, and adopted, in a practice perpetrated by the state and voluntary and faith-based organisations.

“The Government is right to formally apologise today for the role the state played in this scandal and Family Rights Group welcome the measures being put in place. It comes after many years of tenacious campaigning by mothers, adopted children and their wider families, which has taken huge courage and has an emotional toll of its own. As the Prime Minister said today, the shame was never yours to carry.

“However, we also need to be conscious that many injustices continue in the child welfare system today. Care experienced young parents are at much higher risk of their own babies being adopted. Too many mothers, who are victims of domestic abuse, have had their children removed, having been blamed for failing to protect them from the abuse. There are huge local and regional variations in the likelihood of a baby being removed from their families, with lifelong consequences.

“A state apology for this scandal is a significant milestone, however this must also be moment to reflect on injustices that continue to haunt our current child welfare system, and the magnitude of change required.”