Hundred’s of women came forward to give evidence to the joint committee of Human Rights about their own forced adoptions and the stories that emerge about their treatment are unbelievably cruel. Here are just a few snippets from the lengthy descriptions they gave to the committee.
The Mothers
Jane
I got pregnant in 1968 and attended an ante-natal clinic As soon as I mentioned I was a single mother-to-be, I was put into the hands of religious social workers who were utterly horrible to me. They told me that if I had been a good, moral girl who had read my Bible regularly, I would never have committed such a dreadful sin and found myself in this position. I was an intelligent young woman, a university graduate of 23, but they made me feel evil, dirty and a blot on society. They told me I was nothing but a feckless little hippie who had nothing to offer a child and insisted I got the baby adopted. There wasn’t an ounce of sympathy or understanding, or empathy for a young woman in a vulnerable state, alone in a strange city. I felt trapped in a social system that was cruel and merciless. My perfect little girl was born in February 1969, when snow was on the ground. Ten days later, I had to travel by bus to deliver my tiny bundle to the Church of England Adoption Society in central London, sobbing all the way. I shall never forget my tears as I stood shivering at the bus stop afterwards, empty and alone, with painful breasts full of milk.
Sally
I remember giving birth in July 1983 and the nurse taking my son away, I did not see him, smell him or touch him. I was placed in a ward in the hospital where all the other mothers had their babies with them and my cot was empty.
Amanda
My baby was born in the early hours of 19th March 1977, I laboured alone, I laboured unsupported by medical staff and I laboured in a state of fear, all because I was an unmarried young mum. My baby stayed with me in hospital for 9 days, and then I took him to his foster home where I left him and walked away. There was an expectation that I would revert back to my life and my son was never, ever spoken about again. My heart was utterly broke
The Children
The young Mothers were not the only victims of these horrific forced adoptions. Thousands of children grew up knowing they were adopted, but having no idea why, or who they really were. The lucky ones, found loving parents and grew up in happy homes. Others suffered the trauma of knowing their birth Mothers and then being taken away at three or four years old
Cathy
Cathy was born to a sixteen year old, in an Irish Catholic Home for Unmarried Mothers. Her Mother was made to scrub floors, up to the time she gave birth. After mothers had given birth, unless they paid £100 to cover the cost of their care during the pregnancy and birth they had to stay at the home for at least three years, working to pay for their care and confinement. As was the case with most of the girls, finding a hundred pounds was not an option for Cathy’s Mum. Cathy remained in the home, with her Mother, who was allowed to see her for just one hour each day. All children up for adoption would be dressed smartly given a suitcase and a soft toy. Then a photograph would be taken.
This was known as a ‘prop shot’ and was for a catalogue of children and babies, which would be sent to childless couples in the USA, who had been unable to adopt in the States. A couple had asked for a girl around four years old to be a companion for their older daughter. Cathy was the obvious choice and her portfolio was sent to them. Neither Cathy nor her Mother had any idea that all these negotiations were taking place. The couple confirmed that they wanted her, and a substantial, agreed ‘donation’ was sent to the convent. The American couple didn’t go to Ireland to fetch Cathy, but hired a courier to collect her and take her on the flight. That day she spent an hour with her Mummy and then, this little four year old was taken by a complete stranger on a six-hour flight to the USA, to be left with a couple who were also strangers. It was only after Cathy had left that her Mother was told that Cathy had gone to a new Mummy and Daddy in the USA. It is difficult to believe, that such callous cruelty, could happen in a so called Christian Community in the 20th century, but this was by no means an isolated case
‘The Lost Child of Philomena Lee” By Martin Sixsmith (Later made into the film ”Philomena”, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan) was just one of many novels telling of the cruelty and heartbreaking events that befell young unmarried Mothers and their children.
Judi Dench as Philomena and Steve Coogan as Martin Sixsmith in “Philomena”
Philomena not only had her little boy stolen from her and illegally sold, to a couple in the USA, but when in later years she approached the convent to try to trace her son, they withheld information that would have helped her to trace him. Worse still, when her son, dying of aids, returned to Ireland in a desperate attempt to find his birth Mother, they refused to give him the information they had, that would have enabled him to find her and for them to be together before he died. The nuns had lied to both the Mother and the son, so that Anthony died before they could be reunited.
Judi Dench and Philomena Lee at the Premiere of “Philomena”