Australia Must Apologize to Mothers and Children: Parliamentary Inquiry

Australian governments must formally apologize to mothers and children who were victims of past forced adoption practices, a parliamentary inquiry has recommended, the Australian Associated Press reports.

Between the 1950s and 1970s, about 150,000 Australian unwed mothers had their babies taken against their will by churches and adoption agencies.

The report by a Senate inquiry investigating the Commonwealth government’s involvement in past forced adoption practices was tabled in the upper house on Wednesday with 20 recommendations.

The committee recommended a formal Commonwealth government apology, as well as similar statements from state and territory governments and non-government institutions involved.

Australian Greens senator Rachel Siewert, who chaired the inquiry, broke down as she tabled the report. “This was a really hard, emotional inquiry,” she said.

About 100 victims of past forced adoption practices were in the Senate public gallery. Many cried out and clapped during speeches.

Liberal senator Sue Boyce said the inquiry took 18 months because of the sheer volume of information and people wanting to tell their stories.

Labor senator Carol Brown said women had been tricked into signing adoption papers and physically shackled to hospital beds.

She said the pain of women affected was “unimaginable”.

“Doctors, nurses and midwives showed no respect to these woman. They were taunted about their unwed status. Single-parent women were pushed toward adoption as their only legitimate choice, she said.

Many nurses and social workers now looked back on the practices with anxiety.

Catholic Health Australia admitted being involved in past forced adoptions and apologised to victims in July last year.

Chief executive Martin Laverty encouraged other organisations to apologise and supported the recommendations.

“We think they are concrete steps that can help those affected by past adoption practices move towards healing,” he said.

“This report that is many years in the making must now not sit on the shelf.”