LONDON: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday issued a formal apology on behalf of the British state to women who were forced to give up their babies for adoption and to those separated from their mothers at birth under a system that targeted unmarried women in the decades following the Second World War.
Addressing parliament, Starmer said the state was “deeply and profoundly sorry” for the lifelong trauma caused by policies that led to the separation of an estimated 185,000 children from their mothers in Britain between 1949 and 1976.
The apology follows years of campaigning by survivors and comes four years after Britain’s Joint Committee on Human Rights concluded that the government was ultimately responsible for failing to protect unmarried mothers and their babies from coercive adoption practices.
Coercive adoption system
Between 1949 and 1976, unmarried pregnant women were often subjected to social stigma and pressure from state institutions and Christian churches to surrender their babies for adoption. Many were sent to so-called “mother and baby homes”, where they were separated from their newborns, frequently against their wishes.
Last month, the Church of England apologised for its role in operating some of these homes, acknowledging its involvement in practices that caused lasting harm to thousands of women and children.
Meeting with survivors
Before making his statement in parliament, Starmer met a group of affected mothers and adopted children at his Downing Street residence, where he expressed regret over the suffering they had endured.
“There never was any shame for you,” he told them. “The shame actually is ours. The shame is on the state and all those that were responsible for this.”
Britain’s apology follows similar acknowledgements made by Ireland and Australia over their historical treatment of unmarried mothers and the forced adoption of their children.
Campaigners have welcomed the move as a significant step towards recognising decades of injustice, while continuing to press for greater support and access to historical records for those affected.
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