Women who were pressured to give up their babies for adoption and people “stolen” from their mothers speak out and unite to call for a WA inquiry into the practice, which tore apart tens of thousands of Australian families.
Ms McRae says WA was the first state to apologise for forced adoption practices in 2010 but since then has done nothing to restore basic human rights to survivors or uncover the truth of what happened.
“It’s unfinished business,” she said.
“Who were the powerful brokers of adoption during that period? What money was exchanged between hands?
“You can’t have an apology and then nothing else after that.”
Ms McRae says the WA Government has failed to implement key recommendations from a Senate inquiry report in 2012 that would remove the barriers facing adoptees now trying to reclaim their real identities.
Simple things like reverting to your original name, revoking your adoption orders or having your biological father’s name recorded on your original birth certificate were all still onerous processes, she said.
Mrs Haylock wants an inquiry to be held while staff involved in forced adoptions are still alive, including the child welfare officer involved in her case who, she alleges, went to the Supreme Court to get the adoption signed off after failing to get the necessary approval from her mother’s parents.
In particular, she wants to know whether her mother, like many others at the time, was given medication to suppress her breast milk, which has since been linked to breast and cervical cancers.
So far, Mrs Haylock’s attempts to secure the paper trail of documents has proven incredibly frustrating.
A state government spokesperson said support and counselling was available from the Forced Adoption Support Service run by Relationships WA.
The statement said that consideration was currently being given to the recommendations from a number of reports and inquiries relating to forced adoption.
Source: Push for WA inquiry into forced adoptions to address ‘dehumanising’ toll on survivors – ABC News