UK’s Starmer apologises for the state’s role in decades of forced adoptions
Summary
The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, formally apologized for the forced adoption of babies from unmarried mothers between 1949 and 1976, calling it a serious wrongdoing by the government and churches. An estimated 185,000 children were taken from their mothers against their will, who often faced cruel treatment during this time.Key Facts
- Forced adoptions affected babies born to unmarried British mothers after World War II until 1976.
- Around 185,000 children were forcibly taken from their mothers.
- The government and Christian churches ran a system that pressured and shamed mothers, many of them teenagers.
- Mothers were sometimes punished during labor, including having painkillers withheld.
- The Church of England also apologized for its role in these forced adoptions.
- The UK government will spend £4 million to help people access adoption records and support affected families.
- A parliamentary committee documented many abuses and recommended the official apology four years ago.
- Similar apologies were made by Australia in 2013 and Ireland in 2021 for their histories of forced adoption.
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