LONDON (AP) – The British government is set to issue a formal apology on Thursday for the controversial practice of separating tens of thousands of unmarried mothers from their babies, which persisted for decades until the 1970s. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will deliver a statement in the House of Commons to acknowledge the state's role in forced adoptions and offer an apology to the survivors affected by these policies.
This apology aligns with a broader movement among several nations to confront the harsh legacies of social norms, religious practices, and governmental policies that marginalized unwed mothers. These women were often hidden away in institutions during their pregnancies, only to have their children adopted by married couples upon birth.
Between 1949 and 1976, an estimated 185,000 babies born to unmarried mothers were adopted in England and Wales. Advocacy groups have campaigned tirelessly for recognition of the immense pressure, deception, and intimidation that many women faced while being coerced into relinquishing their babies. Ann Keen, a former U.K. health minister whose child was adopted in 1966 when she was just 17, expressed her anticipation for the apology, stating, "We need this apology, because we have always been accused of giving up our babies, and we didn’t give them up." She emphasized that this moment provides an opportunity to rectify historical injustices.
In 2022, a report from Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights called for the British government to apologize for the "pain and suffering caused by public institutions and state employees that railroaded mothers into unwanted adoptions." Although the semiautonomous governments of Scotland and Wales issued their apologies in 2023, the Conservative U.K. government at the time declined to do so.
The forthcoming apology from Starmer's Labour Party government follows closely on the heels of an apology made by the Church of England, which occurred two weeks prior. Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally expressed profound regret for the "pain, trauma, and stigma experienced—and still carried—by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated with the Church of England."
This issue is part of a wider conversation taking place across the globe. In 2013, then-Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, delivered a pivotal national apology addressing the country's past forced adoptions and the "lifelong legacy of pain and suffering" that ensued. Similarly, Ireland has grappled with the history of mother-and-baby homes managed by the Catholic Church, where many women experienced degrading conditions. An inquiry in 2021 revealed that 9,000 children had died in 18 mother-and-baby homes during the 20th century. Prime Minister Micheál Martin subsequently issued an apology for the "profound and generational wrong" inflicted upon mothers and their children in these institutions.
The British government's impending apology marks a significant step towards acknowledging and reconciling with the past, as it joins other nations in confronting the painful legacy of forced adoptions. The focus now shifts to the survivors and their families, who hope this act can help bring closure to a dark chapter in history.
