U.K. Government Apologizes for Forced Adoptions of 185,000 Babies

The U.K. government issued an apology for the forced adoption of an estimated 185,000 babies from unmarried mothers in England and Wales during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The statement expressed regret on behalf of the state but did not announce immediate compensation for the mothers or their children.

Apology A March report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights described how government policies created an environment of shame and coercion that pressured thousands of unmarried women to surrender their children. The committee recommended improved access to adoption records and greater support for family reunions, while urging officials to study responses already adopted in Australia, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The apology follows similar statements issued three years earlier by the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed two weeks before the Commons statement that an apology was forthcoming and would reflect the gravity of the period.

Campaigners met the prime minister at Downing Street ahead of the address. An apology is expected in Northern Ireland once a public inquiry into mother and baby institutions, Magdalene laundries and workhouses concludes. In June the Church of England issued its own apology.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said victims experienced pain and trauma when they should have received care, adding that the shame belonged to the institution.