An estimated 185,000 babies born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, were taken away from them and handed over to couples as a 'forced adoption'
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologised on Thursday for the forced adoption of an estimated 185,000 babies born to unmarried mothers in England and Wales between 1949 and 1976, calling it "a stain on our history".
The scandal saw the mothers, including many who were teenagers, coerced into giving up their children, with social, institutional and family pressures used to persuade them that adoption was their only option.
"We are deeply and profoundly sorry to the mothers who were told they were unfit, who were prevented from caring for the children they desperately wanted ... and who have carried this loss for decades," Starmer told parliament.
"The shame is not yours. The shame was never yours. The shame is ours," he insisted.
