Unmarried mums get State apology
DANIEL EMERSON, The West Australian September 1, 2010, 6:32 am
The State's apology to unmarried mothers illegally separated from their babies under
harsh adoption practices is set to happen within weeks.
WA is to become the first State or Federal government worldwide to admit hospital
and welfare authorities were wrong to immediately separate mothers from their babies
after giving birth out of wedlock. Mothers from around Australia keen to hear the
apology have been told it will be delivered in Parliament on October 19.
Experts say tens of thousands of WA babies were adopted illegally when their
unmarried mothers were prevented from seeing, touching, naming or bonding with their
children immediately after birth between the 1940s and the early 1980s.
Health Minister Kim Hames said the exact format of the apology was still being
finalised but it would be "to unmarried mothers of adopted children who were
adversely affected by past adoption practices".
Christine Cole, of the NSW-based Apology Alliance, said it was also important for
the Government to say sorry to the children taken. "They were denied their family of
origin and the culture of that family," she said.
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2 comments:
We hope Queensland will follow the Western Australian lead.
It is time!!!!!
Julie
congratulations for the strength, determination of the Mothers of western Australia, to The Western Australian parliament for having finally the courage to lead the world in honesty.To own their ignorance and abuse.
Veronica
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