Emotions high as broken families get apology

Published on 22/03/2013 00:00

Julia Gillard delivered a national apology in parliament yesterday to the thousands of unmarried mothers forced to give up their babies for adoption over several decades.

More than 800 people affected by the policy cried and cheered as they listened to the apology in the Great Hall of Parliament House.

A national apology was recommended a year ago by a senate committee that investigated how unmarried mothers were pressured, deceived and threatened into giving up their babies from the Second World War until the early 1970s so they could be adopted by married couples.

“Today this parliament apologises for the policies that forced the separation of mothers from their babies, which created a lifelong legacy of pain and suffering,” Ms Gillard said. “We acknowledge the profound effects of these policies and we recognise the hurt these actions caused,” she said. “We deplore the shameful practices that mothers your fundamental rights and responsibilities to love and care for your children,” she added. She also pledged support to the reunite families.