London, July 2: Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday issued an apology on behalf of the British state for thousands of forced adoptions of children born to unwed mothers between the 1950s and 70s.
The government also announced a 4-million-pound support package for better access to adoption records.
In a House of Commons statement, the outgoing leader serving as caretaker PM until his successor is elected paid tribute to the “remarkable women” who were “coerced, bullied or misled” into feeling they had no choice but to have their children taken from them.
An estimated 1,85,000 babies are believed to have been forcibly taken away by institutions, including religious organisations, from vulnerable young women who fell pregnant.
“What happened to them – and to tens of thousands of mothers, children and families – should never have happened. It is a stain on our history,” said Starmer.
“These were not isolated or accidental acts. They were practices embedded within systems across local authorities, across voluntary and faith-based institutions, and in health and social care services, including parts of what is now the NHS [National Health Service].
“I hope this statement and this apology perhaps gives some of them the confidence to speak about what happened to them because it will help in a small way.
“But I say this: the shame is not yours, the shame was never yours, the shame is ours. And I say that on behalf of the whole country, I say it to every single person impacted, we are deeply and profoundly sorry,” he said.
Starmer noted that it was a “systemic failure” which meant that many from ethnic minority backgrounds “experienced racism” and some were adopted across borders or cultures and therefore “lost connections to their heritage, racial and personal identity.”
“To each and every one of those affected, we say a deep and heartfelt sorry,” he stated.
During the PM’s speech, some of the impacted mothers and adopted children were watching and clapping from the public gallery of the Commons.
The Department for Education has been directed to set up support groups for such mothers and adopted kids, now adults, and a 4-million-pound support package over three years is expected to offer better access to adoption records and family reunion services.
The national apology follows the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales having issued apologies for such practices following a nationwide campaign by those impacted.
According to government estimates, the practice of forced adoptions was particularly prevalent between 1949 and 1976 but also extended beyond those years.
“We will fund the development of a national online resource, creating a single access point to locate records wherever they might be held across the country,” Starmer promised.
“I want to thank those who have campaigned for so long to have the truth recognised, including those who are no longer with us to hear this apology they fought for. It should never have happened. And you should not have had to fight for this day to come,” he said. (PTI)
