Michael Lambert
@GrandCamouflage
Researching histories of #NHS, #troubledfamilies, #forcedadoption & #histchild in Britain. Not #akindoftrouble. WP lead @LancasterMedSch. Co-I @mappingdoctors.
17-09-2013 18:01:23
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UK Parliament Human Rights Committee In 2023 the UK Government responded to the report, recognising that what happened was a historical justice, said ‘sorry’ 15 times, but fell short of apologising because they said it was society’s fault, not the British state.
committees.parliament.uk/publications/3…
UK Parliament Human Rights Committee The UK Government are wrong and their position is not sustained by the historical evidence, which demonstrates the extent of state direction, funding, support and control over forced adoption.
research.lancs.ac.uk/portal/en/publ…
Religious and voluntary organisations undertaking moral welfare work with unmarried women funded by the British state, including running mother and baby homes and adoption societies, were also deeply involved. Many remain part of the sector today.
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidenc…
In 2016 Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Cardinal Nichols) apologised for the role of the Catholic Church whilst the Church of England expressed their regret, citing different social values and times rather than focusing on the actions of moral welfare workers.
theguardian.com/society/2016/n…
Cardinal Nichols You can watch the 2016 ITV documentary “Breaking the silence: Britain’s adoption scandal” which prompted the response from religious organisations here:
youtube.com/watch?v=P51L8-…
BBC journalist Duncan Kennedy (Duncan Kennedy) has also covered the scandal of forced adoption in British history and produced a 2021 documentary: ‘If you love your baby… The story of forced adoptions’.
bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00…
Michelle Pearson (MichellePearson) published her harrowing experience of her son being forcibly adopted in 1972 and the lasting impacts on her life with Mardle Books in 2022.
mardlebooks.com/taken
Liz Harvie (Liz Harvie) is also publishing her experience of adoption and its lifelong consequences when she was taken from her mother in 1974 with Mardle Books.
thebookseller.com/rights/mardle-…
The moving testimonies of Ann Keen RN NDN FQNI FAAN FRCN and Judy Baker to the JCHR inquiry in 2022 share similar elements of Michelle's story and emphasis on secrecy, shame and stigma underpinned by indifference or judgment from officials.
committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/9…
Ann Keen RN NDN FQNI FAAN FRCN An anonymised submission to the JCHR by someone adopted in 1972 speaks volumes about the contradictions of being ‘saved’ and given ‘a better chance in life’ leaving feelings of ‘sadness, otherness and incompleteness’ similar to Liz's.
committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidenc…
The hashtags associated with #NationalAdoptionWeek do not reflect this history of social harm. Whilst I hope this raises #AdoptionAwareness , the stories told cannot be reconciled with #AdoptionIsLove .