Senate inquiry into forced adoptions found barbaric, horrific abuses

I'd like to read the full Report and just found out via a neighbour and friend it's unavailable at the library.
You have to order it from the library (at a cost not insignificant) to actually borrow it and read it.
So much for educating the masses about forced adoptions when the outcome of the Senate Inquiry into that very same flagrant injustice imposed on too many birth mothers and their babies can;t be available unless a citizen goes to the one and only library that has a copy of this Report.
That's the National Library of Australia.
So much for education, and allowing the public awareness about Forced Adoptions and the Report.
I think I'll stick to the independent people who are raising this topic as the government has all these strings attached and it's wrong to limit people's availability to the Report and keep it at one academic
library only.

Jessica

In response to the people concerned about reading the Report on the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions.
The way it is only available at the Academic library the National Library of Australia.
The Governments {state and Federal} in their ignorant and discriminating logic may think the public can download the Report {and other things} and print it out from their libraries, that being for the reader a mere (to government reps.) $64.60 per copy, with each page costing 20cents each. That's not "mere" to very many people in Australia today.
They may also, as they are showing everyone who receives flyers and information from Human Services including pensioners and students receiving pensions or benefits, think all and sundry have access to computers and can read the report from these. That's discriminatory and wrong.

This kind of thinking denies a vast majority of non computer users who don't have to justify why they don't use computers the ability to read "large Journals" "Books" or "The Report".

This kind of thinking also negates the reality people still like to read and gain real understanding by turning page after page and digesting it all in a pace that computers doesn't allow.

We have had many people come to us telling us they cannot use computers and are reeving notification that they can pay bills and do all sorts of things on their non-existent computers, and this is discriminatory.

The idea of a National Broadband negates the reality the elderly, those with few techo. skills, of any age, and truth this includes many young people also, and those who choose to communicate in ways that are far from outdated as in written form mail (and we all don't have to have computers, and never should have to have these) and is a highly expensive for the tax payers and all of us, and unworkable (as per an engineer in specialised field told us) "broadband".

All citizens of Australia do have the right to be able to go to their local library and order in a copy of the Report.
Those who have done so as we're told today have ben advised it is near impossible to obtain these Reports for thier libraries, yet the government think we can all somehow read it if we cough up the money to download it at any library.
This is discriminatory as not everyone has a spare $64.20 to print out a copy of the Report. Not everyone is computer savvy and no one should "Expect" them to be.
Especially as Senateor Rachel Siewert is so succinctly and sadly showing this week by voluntarily living on the unemployment benefit to her said terrible hardship (and we'd go further this means any Australian pension or benefit, unless you have so many kids at home).

We need to dissemninate this Report so vast numbers of people wanting to read it at their leisure as rading is usually done at a lesiurely pace for most people, and this kind of reading, as harsh as it is, needs time to read, not computer glaring to read.

This discrimination expecting people on the dole or other people living on the margins having to have computers or otherwise missing out on reading what they want to is on the rise.
We;ve had many people telling us they can't do as the government wants them to do, as in use computers or SMS's for what they ask, for financial as well as other reasons, and yet they continue to get statememts telling them this is an option for them, sometimes limited to this option almost only; it isn't, and it's time the government caught up to that fact.

We know many very intelligent, sophisticalted people some high profile professionals who don't go near a computer, who let others do their computer work, or simply ignore the usage of same and communicate or do business the way they have always been done prior to computers.

* Human Services have to stop trying to Coerce, yes coerce their clients into using computers
* All governments in Australia, their departments and their officials have to stop pretending everyone has access to computers, and even if they do have access, would use them for all and sundry usage.

The Report belongs to all the people of Ausralia, affected by forced adoptions or othewise, to educate, alleviate ignorance and most importantly of all to get rid of negative discriminations and wrong perceptions about birth mothers and their children.

If Governments in australia want a lot more people to be able to access computers and have the ability to use them they absolutely without any doubts have to Set up Infrastructure and Training so these wider {and there and very many} people can use them for Reports, work and personal use.

Our friend a highly specialised Computer Engineer said he even had trouble catching up on all the new advances, and added this: "Techonology advances being so acute in recent years,ordinary even fairly computer savvy people are being left behind, and those who are aged or the underpriviledged are definitely being left out, it's discriminatory for the aged yes, to you guys it may be discriminarotory for many and rightly so the less fortunate, it's more that the governments haven't given this enough thought".
He added "National Broadband is so extremely costly and unworkable", his words not ours."design to access it earlier". We cant leave people out and age discrimination comes into this. Babyboomers have a hard enough time with lots of techno. and that's a big problem not for the baby boomers {who all have and do contribute/d to family and with their own individual atributes} to have to handle, for the governments to, reiteration: "Set up Infrastructure and good Training if they expect wider people to use computers."

We've gone off subject a bit, only to explain that many more people than the government realise cannot and should not be coerced to use the latest "technology" and nor should they be coerced to use it for computer "reading the Report on the Senate Inquiry into Coerced Adoptions" online.

Graham and Nicci

If the government thinks everyone has computers like they do with back up systems that enable them to get their computers back on track when they crash (and crash they do) they're mistaken.
If the government thinks everyone can find the Report on their PC's they are mistaken, especially when their computers crash, and not everyone has a printer anyway.
The idea that computer owners own uptodate computers is also a misguided one, they don't, many have very old out of date ones to live by, communicate by, not the kind government offices have at hand.
I second the Report should be available at libraries all over Australia, and if that's too much funds for the paperwork then what about all the paper they use to send out advertisements about their own agenda parties and what they do for us all, ha, what they tell us they are doing for our best interests, when we have no say.
The report needs to be available to all.
None of this leaving many out who are aged or inform or othewise with limited ability to use computers, some who can;t use them at all.
Governments have back ups for when their computers crash the general public do not.
This has to be taken into account.
Repairing a crashed computer is very, I say it again, very expensive, and who but the wealthy can afford to repair theirs because of this?
Go to your local library and access one of there's, that's a joke, nine times out of ten, when you go to one they don;t have any available as they are old or most if not all are not working. What's that all about.
Another public deprivation.
Some of us have waited days to get a library computer, and Centrelink has the same if not worse problems, yet they ask their clients to use "their computers" that are oone or two at most and already in use.
Do you wait a month to get a fair go on their computers? It's all not being looked at realistically, even as the report needs to be read by as many as possible to stop the ongoing prejudices against birth mums and their babies lost.
Thank You Indy

Chapter 11 - Media Discourse on Adoption - Construction of ...
www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/aja/file/article.../1451

Someone doesn't want Kornstrom's article from 1854-1995 out and about, but check it out, it's very, very informative.
The press and the government had ties then as now.
Nothing changed there.
Graham

This article is very good from Korstrom.
Another is Chapter 11 - Media Discourse on Adoption - Construction of
www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/indes.php/aja/file/1451

I understand the adoptees are speaking out and that's very good however one thing escapes a whole lot of thinkers, the mothers were the ones left completely isolated, alone and abandoned by all, the babies had married couples (good, bad or ugly as they may have been) were all cared for.
The mothers were abandoned, and to the nations shame.
Until one woman stood her ground and pronounced the horror of coerced adoption, and then later a psychiatrist, and then later the support groups and the later senator Rachel Siewert this whole social injustice would still be under the carpet.

I want to see more mainstream news media about this social injustice as the causes and effects on families all over Australia are enormous.
I have concern without being involved and want this to be taken with the seriousness it has long needed.
I also want to say all the best to all who have suffered because of coerced adoptions and especially the birth mums.
I know from years of looking at this for my work is that coerced adoptions and anything by governments, churchs and corporations with affiliations with "churchs" as well as everyone involved who didn't help but hindered family life the helpless will face negative consequences and have to pay for the atrocious damage they have inflicted on the masses, simply because the mothers were unmarried.
Outrageous.
Julie

With all the media and all the work done by indivdiauls and collectives for Forced Adoptions tragedies there is one woman who has been left out.

We know about the artist who was tireless and relentless trying to show the world about forced adoptions Pamela Bridgefoot. We commend her highly, she spent half her lifetime and with anguish trying to tell truth that was not unearthed until she went to air and gave us her original expose.

We know about Dr. Geoff Rickarby who was also tireless from a professional position and for far many more years than anyone I am yet to read about.
His works are now on Hansard and his voice has finally been heard.

We know about the sumbitters and the witnesses who are to be commended for their contributions which were a part of the many more who could not submit, and they deserve equal recognition.

We know about the adoption support groups who have done a great deal to raise this social injustice and highly commend them as a collective.
No one has yet talked about or written about the founder of Origins Inc. NSW who not only did a lot of hard work on this social cause but died for this cause, her name is Diane Wellfare. (If I've put in an extra "l" my apologies) I am with every respect for this woman who should have her name on the list as being one of the pioneers also.
Lily Arthur took over Origins Inc. NSW after Dian Welfare died.
Diane's life was one entirely dedicated to truth about forced adoptions and to her today my colleagues and I pass on a very large bouquet and our deepest sympathy to any of her family and friends alive today.
We believe she died for this cause and was rejected by her one and only birth child. Tragic.
Lest we forget the people who gave their lives to this cause and are not news worthy today, yet should be.
To you Diane Welfare, Rest in Peace and thank you for what you did for Origins Inc. NSW and their overseas branches.
You inspired Origins Inc. and all their followers and need your name up there shining, as it is, for what you did for forced adoptions and for never being alive to see what has now come about, this is terribly sad, you died too young.
To all those who have died without gaining any understanding of your life's hardships due to forced adoptions I also send rest in peace and bless you for being and how I wish you never suffered as you did.
Marion
Health professional)

It's Kornister who wrote Chapter 11 - Media Discourse on Adoption Construction of/by the Symbollic Order
He was writing about how the Print Media were in a powerful position to shape opinion about Adoptions.

One thing I found abominable about the Senate Inquiry into Focred Adoptions was this:

One of the Senators if not more said: "How Courageous you are to have submitted and been witnesses" It's that "Courage" which is an absolute give away, they are literally saying to the natural mothers "We forgive you" when truth is they should be saying all the wrong doers need to be forgiven, not the innocent natural mothers who gave birth and lost their babies to strangers.

A small passage from Kornitzer:
"If on the one hand there was disapproving bewilderment about "how can these mothers forsake their babies" on the other there was "forgiveness" for the mothers who "must have great courage (note courage) and real love for their babies, plus the gift of unselfishness." (AWW,1963:41)

I found this whole inquiry over the top in the manner in which it was done, and with the original mothers seemingly unaware of how they are and were being treated.

The Canberra gig was a joke beyond joke and patronising original mothers who in their heart of hearts were and are still probably hurting, then even as they may have lapped up the psuedo "courage praise".
A sandwich and tea party afterwards, why not have given them cake!! Governments with vested interests and there are 60 of them according to Clover Moore need to look in their mirrors and feel shame for treaing these original mothers with so much condescention.
Little wonder there were only 400 submitters, when there were many thousands who lost to this atrocious forced adoption era.
You forgot the champage senator, well cheap is cheap isn't it. Champage for the big gigs, yes!
Bronmyn

Clover Moore said publicly there were 60 politicians with "personal inrerests" in their "politics" not vested interests.
She wasn't referring to adoption at least we all hope not though no doubt there are politicians who would like the massive funds for their coffers from adoptions of babies from birth mums to strangers; sales to their downfall and disgrace.
James

Lawyers made the rules about forced adoptions and they too should now show some remorse, and deal wirh forced adoptions.
We note only Porters Lawyers are doing this, why?
Why did hugs numbers of lawyers suggest and more make birth mothers who had every right to want someone to love and cherish as a mother does, deny the birth mothers this.
Lawyers you have a lot to answer for, you go to Caymen island and do your Tax Havens there, and take funds out of Australia that belong to Australia, and come back to Australia as if you're all legal now, not so and everyone knows this, and you can't feel shame???
You are the ones who created the laws that denied birth mothers their human right to nurtute, love and raise our conceived, carried and born infants. Don't you feel any shame? You more, or less. murdered us individually and collectibely by your right wing repressive laws.
You need therapy, those of you who have no consicences amd see dollar signs wherever you tread. Afflunza and Prestige are your facourite words, and you're not alone, there are specialisr pgsycholists in MacQuaries Street (who will see you for a pittenace of your clients fees) who see life tha same way. Humanity means nothing to them also.
Don't you see the inhumanity of coerced adoptions, in fact any adoptions of biological mothers and their babies?
I feel shame I have a friend who is a lawyer and we never speak about "business" how funny.
Who are the lawyers for oeace wuth justice and human rights?
Anon and by choice not by some lawyers command..

You are a friend of a friend of mine, and I know a lot about you.
What are you doing for Forced Adoptions victims as you make out you are for Human Rights Law, yet neglect an area that serious;y needs attention.
Criminal neglect from a Human Rights lwayer.
That;s how it appears to a lot of people.
When are you going to show the world some real humamity for these people?
Gabriel

We want the Salvos, the churchs involved aside from them and the Governments all of them to publicly apologiseand put this in the media on the front page.
This affected many people we know and we're with every support for these and their getting healing at long last.
One collective in Chatswood

The Report is out and it's in the Attorney General's hands to gather two disability groups and start the process of implementing the recommendations.
All the recommendations need impelmenting and nothing less.
This forced adoptions as I watched it on 4 Corners is the worst human rights abuse I've encountered in Australia.
The way these mums have been made to feel shame and bad because of a patriarchal society and the printed news media that promoted adoptions to "Nuclear families" (that's married couples) is nothing less than unconscionable to most savage degree.
There was nothing wrong with the mothers.
In some countries at that time and today they marry in adolescence.
Australia need to stop being so shortsighted and fix up this mess, made by the Commonwealth as per policies unearthed, and thereby enacted by the States and Territory also.
As for the Church's involved, and the hospitals, I'm aware they are covering up by not apologising even as a few have.
Apologies all round and reparations as recommended in the report.
This is Australia's duty, and the government is being monitored with this disgraceful treatment of unwed mums and their babies. All concerned are.
Valerie M

A close male companion and confidante today took ten from work and read Thomas Graham's 7 page "Reflections on the Tabling of the Senate Committee Report ....."
Australian Journal of Adoption Vol 5, No 1.
We talked about it at length after he read this.
One point he raised with utter disgust in his response too was that the fathers name was never put on the birth certificates.
He kept going over this saying how many men had got away with total irresponsibility whilst the women were considered "bad" "Unfit to mother" etc.
His asked me some questions about the certificate I received and I said "The father's name was not put on the one I received" and he shuddered.
This fact alone tells everyone how girls and women were not only scapegoated, shamed and demonised they/we were also Judged treacherously, the most inhumane and intolerable JUDGEMENTS on all the birth mums.
That Judgement has had lifelong effects for my self and as I understand it from talking with many other women who were guileless young adolescents as I, for them also, it is a damaging and totally destructive thing to have done.
I had to have serious help when I received that birth certificate many years after the birth of course, from P.A.R.C.S. or via their processes from RBDM, and fortunately found help, though even today it is devastating to think the man who intimidated me into my first sexual experience got away without any judgement, whilst I was childless and "condemned" by society and my own family also for years. I became the too good girl/woman and my analyst today tells me you became too good, too nice for words and afraid of men even now.

What of all the others who didn't get that help when they received that "fatherless" birth certificate.
If one (and they all do) recommendation needs implementing it's this one.
It has shattered too many, and I include my self here.
I've spoken with many who say they felt once again betrayed, abandoned and back where it all started when they received a copy of the birth certificate of their lost babies also.
My son taken from me in forced adoption asked for and saw a "fatherless" birth certificate, and this may also be why he doesn't talk with me. I'm unsure, even as I've told him now all about his birth father who abandoned me, as did everyone else at that time, though at first I said the father was alright as I didn't want to totally shock the young man I met at reunion. It was later I opened up with truth and very diplomatically,
I had to say at first the birth father was alright as ironically my son looks identical to his birth father (another shock for me, it's only superficial.)

As my male companion and confidante said today "What on earth made them leave the father's names out?"
I can't help thinking the policies and practices were further damaging to all the girls and women because of this horrific truth. I know it was for me and others have said likewise.

How many men out there from high places, many places, are hiding under cover as this Senate Inquiry and now Report has been made public?

Horrific is as my confidante and companion said "why did they leave the father's names out?" He was shocked and disturbed by this, He's a father and a loving one at that as well as a practicing professional in a remarkable field who today gave me ten to have a cafe over Thomas Graham writings.

I'd love to know what the Government can tell the world was the reasoning, (it wasn't reasonable nor in any which way humane) as well as the Salvation Army, The Catholic Church, The Royal Women's Hospital etc. etc.
Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (State and Territory Government) why this grave ommission and who directed you to "Leave the fathers names out?"

It's a tragic reality women were not only scapegoated, exploited for infertile couples, shamed and disgraced, but also JUDGED without having ANY voices, choices or supports, or "hearing", and today are so many in numbers realising this and understanding how Judgemental and Patriarchal Forced Adoptions was for unwed pregnant/birthing girls and women only, to an insane extent.

For those genuine loving and caring men and adolescent boys who wanted to be with their girlfrineds or women friends this must make them also feel shattered. I understand this too and my companion and confidante spoke of this also saying "What about them, they must think this was all madness, and be mad as hell about it all."
It's appalling. They were totally left out.

The Report recommendations (one of them) are being asked to take that damaging and horrific JUDGEMENT of the girls and women away, by the Attorney General and the two disability agencies following through with the recommendations and not renigging this and all the other intolerable policies and practices.

Thanks Inddependent Media.
Birth mother or Natural mother.

This is fact.
Adoption is a state/territory responsibility, under the umbrella of the Federal Law act 1975.
There's an "Australian official Registers: Births, Deaths, Marriages, Adoptions".

There is no central register of infant adoptions (or any others) in Australia.

Key legislation is:

* Australian Capital Terriroty -Adoption Act 1993
* New South Wales - Adoption Act 2000
* Northern Territory - Adoption of Children Act (No years specified except 1994 and then 2006)
* Queensland - Adoption of Chiildren Act 1964
* South Australia - Adoption Act 1988
* Tasmania - Adoption Act 1988
* Victoria - Adoption Act 1984
* Western Australia - Adoption Act 1994

It seems the legislation is most advanced in the State of NSW, and that they are still all under the umbrella of the Commonwealth Government, with inter-connections if the source of these figures is up to date as have been advised.

It's worth looking at the Commonwealth/Federal Family Law Act 1975.

In regards the fathers names not being on the original birth certificates the birth parents paid for and were allowed to have long after the fact, it's a sad refelection on Australia and value of biological hertage on both sides the fathers names were not put on these.

My colleagues and I also ask why this was?

I also add Rest in Peace all those birth mums and dads who died for this important Australian social cause and died without knowing anything about it all finally being raised at least minimally via several individuals with their cheering squads and then a Senate Inquiry and the Report, to date.

James

Barry O'farrell tells all the world "We can smash people" and all the world know forced adoptions targets were smashed as were targets of Auchwitz.
The Pm Niss Gillard tells the whole world or in front of the whole world to her opposition "Get back in the gutter where you belong".
Both these parliamentarians are working on behalf of and for the Australian people and yet they talk like low life and say these kinds of things publicly.
The forced adoptions targets were smashed Barry and also PM and they need to now be respected as fellow citizens. That's all you are another two fellow citizens, and the world is hearing your outrageous words and wanting some decency and dignity and justice in this country, no more of your hatred speeches, keep them for your own personal spaces.
The country is wanting you to mend the damage of forced adoptions and if you can, how about stopping the bully talks that go to airwaves and hurt a lot of Australians by your attitude and way of communicating.
Les

Each and every forced adoption victim whether they were private or public patients deserve recompense from all governments in form of apologies, especailly the States and Territories and the ri umbrella the Commonwealth.
They also need compensations.
If they go to courtthey only get that compo, it they don;t go to court they should receive government compo.
The Report has some anomolies legally with the latter.
All the best to the women and babies damaged and degarded by past intolerable policies, practices and unsocnionable treatments from so called "authorities".
Margaret (Student)
With Thanks to Indy and alll your good news reading material.
My friends and I have learnt a lot from your website.

many infants to forced adoptions were never sent to wealthier families/couples. That's a myth that needs rectifying.
fact, many were sent to people who simply wanted to be like the Jones's and in that repressive era that was being a nuclear family with at least one child.
Wealthier women or adolescents who lost their babies to forced adoptions often spent their time in wards totally alone, unlike the ones in the homes, and without any outside contact, and their stories have been told by one only to date that I know of, and hopefully more will emerge.
The myths, the rediculous negative biased adoption language, and all the cover ups and lies.
All my nest to the birth mums and their babies now grown or growing.
Trevor

I've realised how much influence social workers had in forced adoptions.
It's worth noting that at the time of forced adoptions nursing staff didn't have university degrees as social workers did, and the imbalance of power has been shown on the news media already.

The danger and down side of all hierarchies is the staff who have intelligent, empathic ideas, views and creative input are eaten up by their higher forms, as if there really should have been this imbalance then, as now, and it's good the nursing profession fought to gain status as equal voices today.
This doesn't negate what happened in the baby scoop era whereby social workers and welfare agencies had enormous power (over unwed mothers and babies who had no place in any of the hierarchy even as they were the clients/patients) simply because they were university trained and under very rigid hierarchies.

I understand interns and locums also had the same problems then, could not question their 'higher' and rigid authorities, and for those who have now spoken out it's a godsend, and about time.

The only way to address this so all of this never happens again is to come to the mature understanding every single staff in every instituion and every workplace has every right to voice and not be considered a whistleblower or dissident if they disagree with the masses who were or are, as we see in this instance, misinformed, and misguided.

Forced adoptions is a huge heartbreaking social injustice that happened in Australia.
What is going to be done about all this and the people affected now that the Report is out and the public are aware of truths rather than past fabrications that damaged so many thousands of lives?

I've heard this first hand and it stung my family and I
One adoptive couple rang the Private doctor's receptionist to find out "Is it a boy or a girl?"
The receptionist with a knot in her throat (anger) said:
"Does it matter?"
The adoptive parents were somehow taken aback at this, as if they had rights above all rights to choose everything, whilst the original mother had no rights whatsoever in who was receiving her baby.
These parents have bore a grudge against that receptionist for saying this to them "Does it matter?"
They in their selfishness could not see "Something else mattered to the private doctor and the receptionist who also knew the case well, the original mother was in very profound suffering at the outcome of something she had not even given permission to happen, loss of her baby to strangers."

The adoptive parents in this instance eventually 'claimed' a second baby via adoption (probably not from the same doctor, we don't know) and of their choice in gender this time, and one has to ask how well was the first baby treated, and if he (in this case) was resented for not being the gender as the adoptive parents had, it appears to all, wanted.

Kornitzer (in his/her article) talks a lot about the adoptive parents of baby scop era in Australia wanting girl babies.

At the reunion of the original mother and these adoptive parents first baby, then grown into an adolescent of age to reunite with biological mother, the adoptive parents were present too, questioning and probing the original mother. The mother was in anguish at this and felt speechless to answer some of the questions imposed on her.
She was genial because it was all happening with her biological son there too.

These same adoptive parents second baby adopted has vetoed all reunions with HER biological kin, as, we're told, she does not want to have anything to do with her biological background, and, we're told also, because of the adoptive parents pressure on her to conform to their wishes to not meet her biological mother or parents.

There is no Right to a child, and those infertile couples who claim they too grieve not being able to have their own babies, all anyone with logic can say is, for all women and therefore also their spouses there comes a time when the women cannot conceive by nature and biological reasons. Do these women play victim and grieve for now being 'infertile' we think not, as they have come to that age where they cannot have children any longer, and it's part of life. Not the end of life, a new beginning for them as they usually see it if they;re relatively healthy in attitude and spirit.

I'm deeply saddened as I equally understand the private dr's receptionist's anger at the selfishness of the adoptive parents in this case.
They were lawfully given the right to another person's baby, and had to step further over the line of humanity and want this baby to be of the gender they chose.
They to this day hold a grievance that is unstable, and intolerable.

My heart goes out to the first of the adoptees these adoptive parents 'claimed', and I'm glad to hear the private doctor and the receptionist had the kind of empathy they did, even if it didn't extend far enough, the receptionist at least said it as it was.

It's not a right to adoption, it's not a right to 'claim' another person's/couples baby for one's own to raise as family.

Marion
(health professional)

I was more than thrilled to see in the news our Australian minister Panny Wong with her partner and their adopted infant. This put a smile on my face as I know other gay couples who are such excellent adoptive parents.
It showed me too parliament [some quarters of] can tolerate and accept finally the diversity of families in Australia.
Also a fine example of adoption done correctly through the right channels which enabled a gay couple to have their beloved infant to care for. love and watch grow.
They know their infant is not of their blood and I'm sure they respect this as they show by their truth in showing the world their family they have tolerant and open minds.

We need more open and tolerant minds in Australia.
Rednecks and discriminaters are hateful, and by their hate and discimination, destructive to any society.

Coerced adoptions of the era in question deal with adolescent mothers, seems for most part, or little older, who lost by terrible and extreme measures seperate and diverging from normal obstetric practices, and were/are not on.

The reasons I see the Report recommendations need to be implemented, as soon as possible is first and foremost so this history is never ever repeated, and for other reasons to release the birth mums from some of their known damages.
We don't need more time and inquiries at a later date about this same social injustice, and we do need these mothers and adoptees to have vital measures to help them heal.
Their healing heals the rest of Australian society in regards to coerced adoptions, as they were numbered in the many thousands, that amounts to many more thousands when you take into account their familes and inidvidual lives.

The loss of many thousands of birth mums to ill health or disability [those to death total loss irreplaceable] is a tragic loss indeed, socially, family wise and economically for Australia.
This can be remedied in some small part by implementing the findings from the Report.

Thanks and good luck to the victimised in coerced adoptions.
Good luck to certain peoples in Australia [the numbers are growing fast] who've realised finally discriminating [whether it be on marital status, disability or sexual preference etc.]rednecks are not to be tolerated in any civil society, and not least of all in Australia.
Their hatred and discrimination is not an Australian asset and needs education to eliminate.

It's sad Australia in the era of coerced adoptions in question did not value the very source of life.
I find it incomprehensible and unconscionable.

I say good luck to all the women who never had any children and who are unable to conceive or adopt.
It's reality all women have to face at a time in their lives though we need to acknowledge for the maternal women out there who would have had or would like to mother this is very difficult to accept. May you have families as diverse as they are in Australia today who support you and from which you can give that love you so wanted to give to a child, as well as receive this.
Carl

I'm all for supporting the vast numbers of people affected by forced adoptions. You were tragically discriminated against.

I raise this: If you are a heterosexual couple today and want to adopt a baby you may find it diffiicult but if you do adopt you have the options of a healthy baby.
However, if you are a gay couple today you are told by the authorities you may only adopt a Downes Syndrome Baby.
Do the whole public know this. There are only few exceptions, and they are highly moneyed ones.
That's Discrimination and disgraceful for all concerned.

Discriminations in Australia need to look in wider ways not only at forced adoptions in the past but what is happening today.
Discriminations hurt not only the targets but all of Australian society.

From: Elizabeth

I've seen the devastation first hand of forced adoptions and other babies taken from their parents for other reasons, very unsimilar except for the loss.

I'm totally supporting as I've said reform and no way forward with any more forced adoptions.
The Report implemented can prevent and also remedy these already happened.

I'm left wondering where are all the Downes Syndrome Babies and how are they being cared for, if they are the only ones offered to gay couples who have no connections to obtain a newborn for adoption?

What's happening to them?

Discrimination and it's redneck Australia too often has to be looked at and for this website and it's meaningful dialogue forced adoptions.

From: Elizabeth

It's now clear and out in the open there was a very outrageous, dysfunctional culture of suppression, victimisation and bullying for all and every victim of coerced adoptions.

Where are there today National Laws against Bullying in Australia today.

Where are the National Laws against Bullying of unmarried single mothers, unmarried single fathers, and their children today.

Bullying was a major ingredient in the mix of policies and practices which lead to coerced adoptions.
We don't have as yet enough speaking about and acting on stopping adult bullying in Australia.
We have a Natioanl need to seriously look at the costs of bullying in housing, care, health and employment organisations as well as governments and their agencies, and reduce these by implementing National Anti-Bullying Laws in Australia for Adults, as well as children.

Law student

Mario here and I have a relative via marriage who lost her first born baby to forced adoptions.
I see her and think how skinny she is and how beautiful she is yet she doesn't know this, she is with an image of herself as if she's always guilty.
We, my wife and I know she's guilty of nothing as we watched her grow, being like her
nearest relatives as some of her family from birth are very rejecting of her for no reasons.
I want there to be real justice and families to be looked at with respect.
I want to know the young women as my relative who is almost sick skinny wants to eat again and find life a place where decency is important.
A man took advantage of my relative when she was very young and left her alone to handle her pregnancy alone (and she was too shy to tell us or too afraid until some years ago) and that hasn't ever left it's imprint, it's hardly spoken about but you know when she visits or when we visit her. When we watched a television show about forced adoptions she became upset and said she had to go home.
We turned the show off but that didn't stop her running to the door, and without her dinner we'd all arranged that evening.
She does tell us she wants to be accepted by her son who rejects her for no known reason. She's put her life on the line for that young man and he just rejects her.
It's like she's got a dismissive father and a rejective son and we're her parents (de facto) whilst every man who sees her wants to know her, she can;t go near any of them exceot for one who she told us is safe. We don;t understand.

The news haven't shown all the stories.
There are a lot of people who are not admitting they treated my relative and her peers with torture (we have proof of this with e-mails and many facts found on paper now) and disgraceful treatments and for this they have no alternative but to pay.

A trust fund for compensations for the victims of forced adoptions should come from the Benevolent Society (they either do this or have a tax audit as they are not being benevolent at all today, it's all about high end of town property sales that they own and we aren't sure if they legal, a lot of people are asking questions about their property assets), the Salvation Army Australia, other church's and so called charites, including the Catholic Church, and the Hospitals involved, (to individiually compensate the victims of forced adoptions.)

A wonman was bullied at Optus and is claiming millions, whilst our relative and all the other victims of forced adoptions were more than bullied as that woman was, they were, it's all on record now, and on private records the government don't have, that they were also tortured for nothing less than being "unmarried and pregnant" and to supply the "demand for babies for infertile or vain couplles", this is not from the country of my birth ethical or legal, and this is also not the Australia I know.

The government needs to set up a trust fund for the victims, not just piecmeal for counselling, that's a cop-out, for their livlihood and so they can regain all that they've lost by the cruellest mosy inhuman bullying. The world knows about it all know and Australia doesn;t look good with Forced adoptions.
In my relatives case it is a small fortune in lost time, lost wages and one lost son who she had every human right to raise as her own.

Until there is this compensation and from the people who destroyed so many lives and livlihoods because of their discriminations and torture of unwed pregnant and birth mums and babies (and my wife and I know about racial discrimination so can empathise about this kind more so) there will be more and more people speaking out about forced adoptions.
It's one of the most horrific abuses of human rights in Australian history, and we came here a long time ago because we were told Australia had a good human rights record. Not so.
My relative needs to heal properly and be able to live a normal life.
So do all the victims of forced adoptions.
Justice will happen. I've seen what bullies have done in my other country and have also seen how they end up paying for their bullying.
Why they want to mistreat and torture innocent people is beyond my mind.
They always pay in the end and should because that's how my wisdom has shown me life works.

Mario
Five Dock
NSW Australia

We've just read some more of this website.
When I wrote about the artist who gave and gave to forced adoptions with her public expose I wasn't saying she was an unsung heroine as too many know what she did thanklessly in part, though with a lot of recognition and respect as an innovator and original thinker who raised the topic openly, publicly. Pamela Bridgefoot is not unsung anyone.
She's alive, doing her very best to be proactive from what we know (with many supports today) through visuals mainly, even if not remunerated for her efforts and hard work, she's garnished a lot of potent supports.

The woman we were referring to as the "unsung heroine" was Dian Welfare (or Wellfare) who we found was the founder of NSW branch of Origins Inc. who gave her life (died) for this forced adoptions cause.
It turns out she spent many years working on this and always getting no where with her hard work except to be part of an international collective who are continuing this work, as there's the woman named Lily Arther who took Diane's place when Diane died.
Diane is the unsung heorine I was writing about and she should have recognition for all the work she did on forced adoptions and how she died both rejected by her born child as well as by a lot of people who if they were thinking and acting human would have heard the facts she brought forward.

Marion
(Health professional)

Although there are hundreds of libraries across Australia I see how to have the Report on the Senate Inquiry into Forced adoptions would be valuable to inform, educate to be available at enough so any one interested can inter-library laon it out and read it.

Individual libraries across Australia who want to obtain a copy of Senate Inquiry Report would need to write to the
Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs and request a copy from the address below:

Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs
P.O. Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra
ACT 2600
Australia

It's true the public can only read what they have access too, and libraries are there to deliver up to date literature including Reports from governments.
The reason the Report is not in every library is probably because the government now print out (outsource), as in don't have their own printing and art units anymore in their departments, I'm told, and therefore it would be for them an expense they may not want to have to print out a copy for every library in Australia.
Saying this I think every library would do well to have one or at minimal enough libraries to disseminate the Report on Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions.

It's very important the public know about what's eventuated so far as in the Report, with the Senate inquiry into Forced Adoptions, and as several comments have said, it's very costly, even at a Uni. library, as well as regular ones, to print out a copy for your self and shouldn't be like this.
A lot of people are unwilling to read a 323 or so page Report or book on line not just for health reasons.
Understood.

Thanks
Carl

Thanks

I have to say the unmarried birth mothers were not only judged and extremely so, they were also devalued to an extent I find deplorable.
The degradation, humiliation, torture and torment they suffered is not acceptable.

At the same time as a lot of these forced adoptions occured adolescent men really boys were devalued by being conscipted into an unjust war in Vietnam.

It was politicolaw the birth mothers were devalued by, and it was politicolaw the conscripted males were devalued by as well.

In both cases the seperate genders had to abide by unjust Politicolaws or else face severe punishments.

Seperate genders and social injustices equally shameful for Australia.

This era in Australia is one that needs a lot of reflection, education, learning from, understanding to comprehend and transcend just what was happening in the governments in Australia at the time and how to not have this ever happen again.

I'm appalled any birth mother had to go through the horrors of forced adoptions and that the print media and politicolaw were in bed together whilst these people were being savagely brutalised.

It goes without saying conscription into a now accepted unjust war in Vietnam was seavegly brutal as well.

Neither of these social injustices can happen again in Australia, and lest we forget, there's ample evidence they did happen by numbers too inexcusable to be any longer ignored.

Devalue somebody at an impressionable age in adolescence, any age in life, and those who were or are in on this have a lot to account for.

The blame and shame has to be taken off those who were simply too young to know what was in store for them under our Australian flag.

James

I'm an elderly man and I want to access the Report so I'm informed about the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions and the consequent Report.

My granddaghter tells me there are a few ways and mentions one is finding the Digital version of the Report on the Parliamentary website.

I can't attend the University of the 3rd age is it, and don't want to as have other hobbies make time for intelligent activities that stimulate my mind without the use or know how of computers.
They're not available to the poor either that I object to. I'm saying they are expensive for the poor to run, and must eat up all their money. They wont eat up all mine.
I think I'm out of the loop with digital technology and every person I know my age (89) is in the same boat, even those with a lot of money to afford all the mod cons.

It's good to see so many making use of all the growing technologies but I'm thinking the government are not thinking properly how many can't do this, and don't want to.
We shouldn't be coerced to go digital or use computers and by making everything so digital many more than the frail elderly are left out of the loop.
That's also discrimination no one wants to talk about and when they do it's just ignored.

There's training but it's not easy and no one seems to understand this.
The people who teach computers grow impatient and think we're just like them, we're not and when I went to one computer class the teacher spoke patronising and with impatient manners I'm not used to and wont go back for this, it was insulting and more than rude.

The thing about forced adoptions is I think the young ones were all savagely and brutally discriminated against.
I doubt I'd throw my granddaughter, or great granson whose very young, out in the cold if she fell pregnant to some man no matter what circumstances.
I think the government did have a lot to do with forced adoptions as I've read up on this and now seen it all.
This is an appalling abuse of normal mums human rights.
Normal includes married or unmarried, my mother was important to me as a sole mother she was the one and only person who gave me any care and love as a child.
Mothers and their children are important and not to be tortured and thrown away as they did in forced adoptions and with so many women and their babies. Who coukld do this.

Not only was there marital discrimination in forced adoptions yesterday, today there is age discrimination and disability discrimination that is appalling and I think unlawful.

I'll read the report even if I have to write to the prime minister to get a copy and everyone should be able to read it if they want.

My mother and sister were sole parents so I feel large sympathy for all the mothers who went through forced adoptions. They didn't abandon their babies they were it's now known deserted and thrown out to fend for themselves when they needed what was their due, proper, ethical and legal maternity health care and provisions afterwards to decently care for their babies.
They now deserve apologies and recompense.
And whatever age I am I have real reasons and wisdom to believe this is true. Wisdom is not to be devalued either as it is important given so many very young immature people are making wrong decisions in government and in corporations.

Thank you very much
Neville

We want to make a statement about what we watched on ABC's 4 Corners television.
That show has given my wife nightmares and I felt disgusted by all that happened with the poor mothers who gave their views about what happened to them.
We want justice with the Senate Inquiry and justice for all the forced adoptions people and most definitely the mothers who seemed like they'd lost their whole lifetimes trying to go without what was a part of them, their own sons or daughters.
Our hearts go out to them.
We didn't think much of one of the doctors and one of the social workers but that was balanced somehow by one hidden social worker and another doctor the psychiatrist.
All our best wishes to the victims who are anything but bad or "naughty" as the show said. Mothers and babies should never be coerced to separate except in very unusual circumstances and all the thousands is it half a million, these were not unusual adolescent women except they were unmarried (that's not a crime) they loved and cared and wanted to raise their babies (that's not a crime either).
Something has to become of the Report or there's further shame and embarassment for the whole of Australian governments and the number of corporations, churchs and welfare agencies that were involved in forced adoptions.

The Potters

We're all being fed fear and lies again from the present commonwealth & state and territory governments because I know as fact Australia not only has a mining boom there's resources and minerals booming here also.
We're still collectively as a whole country very rich and at the time of forced adoptions, after the 2nd world war things were not impoverished in Australia either.
Why then the baby smash and grab movement that took babies off their original mums.
I've never heard of such inhumanity.
The programs we've watched my family and I are disturbing as they show Australia has been at war with unmarried mothers.
I find this a sin and without sounding too christian in my church it is.
We have unmarried mothers at our church and if they were even in need of anything the church would make sure they received it.
Discrimination on the grounds of marital status is illegal and it was when forced adoptions went on, or should have been
They all need reparation and the churchs who did wrong need to repent their sins.
No true christian god takes babies away from their heritage and original mothers.
Mothers need to feed their own babies and that's also too much as they weren't even allowed to do this.
Instead they were given a dangerous drug named Stilboestral (we saw the forms on television) which is a carcinogenic.
That's like an agent orange for the original mothers. I feel for the mothers especially because I am one and if anyone tried to take my baby when he was born under the circumstances shown on 4 corners I'd have given up on life and even left my church and hope.
It's one of the cruellest most vindictive, malicious things to do to any adolescent or woman, take their baby.
Bless those who suffer, give them compensation and let them all heal, that's my prayer for the many in this forced adoptions saga.

Alexandria

Adelaide

Australia

Whose going to cover the past and present losses and damage to the birth mothers lives professional or vocational reputation as well as their individual personal characters.
They were and to some still are shamed, judged and now need to have the losses they have experienced not least of their own babies considered and recompensed.

Bronwyn

I recommend more than what the Report offers.
They are in one way taking this seriously in another as if it's not a tragedy for all the biological mums and their infants.
The loss of your given birth to infant and then a lot of other losses because people shamed and judged these women basely it's not on.
Compensation from all who did these terrible things to unwed mothers and their infants.

Sylvia H.
Rydalmere

I can't believe forced adoptions happened and yet they did.
What is unforgiveable along with other terrible things in forced adoptions is they wouldn't give the birth parents any knowledge of how their child was living, or even if she or he was alive.
They, the law and government, treated these birth mothers with such contempt (beyond what we treat criminals in gaol) they were denied even ordinary basic information about their own babies and children as they grew.
How can this be how you treat adolescent pregnant mothers who lose their own born babies and why was the law and governments all of them that rigid to think they could play God and deny the birth mothers what every birth mother has a right to, and the birth fathers and the babies.
We give this right to mothers and fathers who have kids in foster care, and vice versa, and we give this right to all mothers, fathers and their children
What was this all about as the more I understand it the more angry I am at the injustice of it all.
The mothers and their babies deserved to have contact at the very least by information and that's not new in health care. We know a lot about the health of mothers and their babies.
We know mothers separated from their babies have very severe separation anxiety as do the babies when without contact. Emotional damage there all in one only area of forced adoptions.
This is one large social injustice I find beyond being forgiven.
If it means the birth mothers have to forgive, the babies growing up have to forgive to heal then that's a large ask.
(I"m not dismissint the birth fathers and understand many wanted to share care, not all it has come to my attention.)
They each had rights to know how each other were going then as now. Neither parties were given this, that's malicious with total contempt toward the mothers and babies, so I can now see why one group wont accept an apology. I wondered why at first now I can see this too clearly.
The authorities went too far into Nuremburg Trial Territory Holocaust actions.

The doctors and all medical professionals I know will not allow this to happen again.

Marion
(Health Professional)

A National public apology to all in Forced Adoptions is needed.
For you Marion and your justifiable anger it might not be enough but it's starts the acknowledgement these officials damaged all affected.
Acknowledgement is also in the Governments and Corporations favour as there are a lot of people as angry as you at this atrocity.
If there's a public apology and recompence then all those who did these things have a lot more support themselves.
The birth mothers, fathers and babies do as well.

This is a topic that makes a lot of people angry but they need to apologise and let the beginnings of healing happen to these people in forced adopt.
It seems they all had ill-will toward single mothers and that's something I can't fathom either.Maybe they needed any scapegoat and it went on the most vulnerable.
They seem to be wanting to do this all overagain with the disabled, singlemums etc. and as you say like at holocaust times.

I'm fed up with governments chaos but they need to apologise.

Thanks
Carmen

They don't dare do that all over again.
There will be more outrage and a lot of this made public if they do.

Trevor

We want Justice!
We want Justice!
We want Justice for all the coerced adoptions of babies in Australia during Baby Scoop Era.
We want Justice! We want Justice! We are going to defend 'till it happens Justice for all the biological mums, dads who said they were the dads, and babies in rotten, disgusting forced adoptions.
This's the pits, governments, Corps, Churchs (hohum), Charities (hohum) taking what's worth more than gold babies away from their original families simply because the mums and dads were unmarried.
Randwick Musicians Co-op

After reading the Telegraph, one of so many I've read about Forced adoptions 'cause I work with and am friend to a birth mum I think it's good to share this.

Found 'Don't let others suffer the pain I faced' by Paul Haves 04/03/2012 in the Telegraph.

I've always wondered why my colleague and friend is a casual and not like me a full time worker, she's so good at her job yet has taken time off work, without pay a lot of late, and it's bothered me by concern for her.

I hope the Report does give all who suffer including the adoptee in the Tele. media as well as my friend and colleague whose absent again for a while {I'm right beside her and her friend as I write this} and can't afford to be, but must be in a lot of pain too. They both are.

Somebody has to give these people compensation in several ways because it was all illegal and unethical, no two ways about it. I keep thinking how atrocious this all was, and how fortunate I am to have not lost so young either my mum or any baby. I also think the person I know shouldn't have had to go through all the costs and bureaucracy simply to have a reunion. I know all about this from a birth mum to as am staying with one whilst my husband is away.
What a learning curve about discrimination and overt tragic brutality Forced adoptions were and are.
Mia
In hope and trust

In the Telegraph piece placed on Indy under "Costs of bureaucracy simply to have a reunion" there is an error we found.
It is meant to read Paul Howes, not Paul Haves.
For clarity.
Best to have these things corrected so no one is offended.

It's also important everyone including the adoptees know the process for the birth parents is also difficult with bureaucracy and different departments including emotional costs as well as financial costs and the maize of bureaucarcy birth mums and dads have to go through.
Not everyone can do this in their shoes either.
That's something I commend the piece in the Telegraph for outlining about the adoptees experience there.
Practicalities, and what is recommended are not as easy to access for all who want to have a reunion with their first families. All should be able to do this in a much fairer and decent way.
Cheers
James

I've noticed how too many are not able to grasp how complex and painful this forced adoption inquiry has been.
I wish more people could understand not only the complexities of forced adoptions also the sensitive nature of it all.
Many are not even interested to try and understand as they keep saying to the birth mums in particular again: "Get over it, it's all in the past".
The wounds have been opened up, the pains are real for those who remember, as well for those who haven't ever been able to find release from their silent prisons.
These latter haven't even found their voices.
"Keep it to yourself, no one wants to know someone who doesn't live in the now and forget".
No one can forget, and to forgive is an uneasy thing to do for any one who has lost to the ill will of others who didn't show care at the time of their forced adoptions.
There's nothing simple about forced adoptions, they affect each individual differently even if there were common unconscionable practices they all experienced.
We all have to be sensitive to knowing not only are the birth mums specifically it seems to me, and dads that cared, and their babies, going through pains right now, and they don't want too, also their other born child or children who have to see their mums reliving what they already have known has been a terrible event in theit mums lives, or for some their mums and dad's lives.
For the adoptees it wasn't in the best interests of the child as if it were they would have been able to be fed and loved and the mums given a voice at the time, as the babies didn't of course.
I want this Forced adoptions followed through with care, sensitivity, understanding of the complexities and just how many beyond the birth parents and their babies this has affected.
For some birth mums, and some dads, their first family are still in denial, or outright dismissing that their siblings or daughters went through a living hell losing to forced adoptions, and need to go through the pains and come to another place, and that place isn't easy to get too.
For many I've found there is a lot to process and they want to run away from it as it's that painful.
I'm very tired of all the authorities thinking the Senate Inquiry was commendable for only the submitters and witnesses, as the breadth of forced adoptions is a whole lot wider including a lot of people who are in anguish again, because it's all in their face, again.
Social inclusion, that's a catch cry that isn't being adhered too and I'm deeply saddened by this.
There isn't social inclusion in Australia.
There wasn't social inclusion in Australia in Forced adoptions.
I wish more people understood on a less superficial level just how much pain has to be encountered by the birth mums and their babies and also the families they now have beside them who need their mums and all to not be in such anguish and feel helpless. That's a terrible place to be, watching your mum in terrible pain and not knowing how to soothe it, whilst all the merriment at some Canberra Report event.
The birth mums who find it so hard to feel again what they weren't allowed to feel when the original very profoundly traumatic experience of forced adoption loss happened are plentiful. They need counselling, or if they've had it more counselling by professionals who suit them individually. This is not a generic social issue, if it becomes that the message is all wrong and the Senators have missed a whole lot of the complexities of forced adoptions.
It's all too sad. That sadness can be rectified, and the governments and all who were involved have to at least try.
The birth mums and their babies are certainly trying to fathom the unfathomable, and again.
We need to collectively, not generically, start showing some care with forced adoptions and the Report is only a beginning. No chaos with this one as in pushing and pulling the targets to go to reunions when they may not be ready or pushing and pulling for any other reason.
No more bullying the birth mums and their babies they know that one and I'm doubtful they'd accept that kind of adult bully conduct from professionals and authorities ever again.
Trevor

My family, friends, colleagues and I have now read that Sunday Telegraph news media titled 'Don't let others suffer the pain I faced' by Journo. Howes.

There were two things that were abhorrent therein while there were other facts revealed about reunions, and the costs of these.

* The Benevolent Society who have apologised publicly for doing so much damage to forced adoptions have 'A Counselling service for forced adoptions persons, at a Fee'. Not on, they are too greedy, and not equpipped to counsel those they've hurt in the past.
I once lived in an area whereby I saw just how much wealth they have in property, it's absolutely abundance over the top.
And, they are not in any position to 'counsel' anyone, as they were part of the problem, never the solution at Baby Scoop Era times.

* The Department of Community Services NSW is cost cutting.
This is happening at a time when they should have an influx of funding for forced adoptions, and other equally very imperative social issues.
NSW is looking pretty bad already, very mean spirited, how can they cost cut what they give so little to and begrudgingly; social issues that have beeen covered up and lied about for too long.
They in fact can't.
Who has ordered these 'cost cuts' when NSW is doing well and doesn't need to cost cut essential human services.
The people will rise if this continues. They're not stupid or without human concern.

The rest of the article focusing mainly on the costs to individuals to obtain indentifying information and reunions is very important for all to know of.
It leaves a lot of people out of the loop, because the government actually ask for monies for these services, despite the fact they created the causes which eventually affected all hurt and badly damaged in forced adoptions.
How tragic is that.

I'm releived at the very least this all has been raised as now more can know of the merry-go-round and whatever else is involved in merely trying to do what almost every conscionable person wants to do, know their family origins and have a reunion with their own family of birth, along with new birth certificates that identify the fathers, as this last bit has never happened. The dads names were left off the first birth certificates.
Imamcualte conceptions, I think not, and shame on those who made it like this completely ignoring the birth mums and makign them non-persons, as well as leaving the birth dads fathers off the birth records at Registry of Births, Deaths, Marriages offices. Terrible beyond any words I can find.
I agree with the musicians from Randwick who wrote 'We want Justice' have a feeling it's going to happen.
Maybe not how the authorities would wish but happen nonethesless and peacefully with a whole lot of prominent supports from vast areas of Australia.

'Don't let others suffer the pain I faced'.
The governments all of them not just NSW have to look at this one, despite what Howes writes this issue has attracted a lot of Australian populations human interest.
It's not going away until governments especailly NSW it seems stop penny pinching where it's most needed, and until they stop giving revenue or funding to people like the Benevolent society for any wrongly placed counselling services.

Good luck to forced adoptions persons, you've been to hell and now it's time to heal.
Blessings and best wishes
Jodi

Howes media was just great about financial realities.
Facts all there for birth parents too as they have to go through a lot and with more prejudice possibly.
He's wrong about not many knowing about forced adoptions.
Every one I meet is talking about this and I mingle in large circles.
It's something every decent Australian is outraged by.
Of course the forced adoptions persons should definitely have public apologies from all who were in any way in on this massacre of innocent people, mostly the mums with babies, that's below the belt.
Of course they also need compensation and how.
I've met more who've sued over much much less so that's an option to, as this is a huge stain on Australia's past
I'm with every support as are my family and all I know for the forced adoptions persons. What a tragic thing to have ever encountered in their lifetimes.
Michael Lehmann

The people who have raised forced adoptions in the past and now the Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions and it's Report, all well done.
There can however, be no closure, no way for any of the victims to be free to grow unless and until the Report is implemented and non-generically.
I wish all who have suffered such tragic losses as occurs in Forced Adoptions the very best of healing.
The door has opened and now you need at least some closure to your lengthy anguish and despair.
Charles

Mothers and their infants are entitled to be together as family.
Whether they are married or not, yesterday or today, mothers and their conceived and born infants have every right to stay together.
If they need support because they are going it solo because the dad is irresponsible then we all support the mums and their children
What happened in Forced adoptions is the most tragic thing I've heard about since I left school.
All the mums and infants need help then, and it wasn;t given, so now it has to come forward to them.
It's never to late to right such a terrible Australian wrong.
J.M. (University Student NSW)

A lot of persons think the mums gave their babies as if they freely gave them to strangers in forced adoptions.
A few birth mothers actually thought and one wrote that she gave her baby to adoption, when it was the Salvation Army's staff who told her, and maybe the others they were too selfish if they kept the baby, and needed to "GIVE" the baby to a "MARRIED COUPLE".
This is the injustice and one big angle on it.
I find it deplorable and have nothing to do with Benevolent Society or Salvation Army, Catholic church (not that I ever dealt with them except to occasionally shop at one of the op. shops of Salvos. and Vinnies.) ever again. This is the most tragic social injustice in Australia's history.
I'm appalled and left bewildered by the evil of it all.
Shame, shame.
Apologies needed by more than the Governments.
Helen (Nursing Sister)

For the insensitive and callous doctor on 4 Corners ABC
"Given or Taken?" (Not Dr. Rickarby)
I say this:
If there are enough women out there with cancer because of taking Stilboestral as a de-lactate [of choice by so many doctors in Baby Scoop Era] go to your nearest Medico-Legal Expert and gain Justice as that was never on and never should have happened. One of many injustices in forced adoptions.
I also say: You Dr. [your name escapes me on purpose because of your shallow heartless mind] are without any conscience for denying truths that have been given now by thousands, and are now known by millions upon millions of people.
James

Totally saw what James saw on ABC 4 Corners. The social worker who didn't cover her pitiful face was also a farce.
Millions are backing the winners in this the targets of forced adoptions.
How dare anyone try to cover up and lie about the millions internationally it would be, forced adoptions.
In Australia there were more than we already hear about.
I'm a dad and I know about loss.
Let these forced adoption people in Australia have their justice and compensation, for heavens sake isn't it about time.
Mel

I want to raise something no one seems to have raised or if they have not enough.
Even though my parents had signed consent forms for my baby to be taken from me via adoption to strangers, I was also given a form to sign, and without any knowing, it was a consent form, by the Salvation Army at Bethesda.
They pushed this under my tears and said fill this out.
Intuitively, even as I had been heavily sedated I knew there was something amiss, and I filled in the fathers name, my religion then, my hobbies, and I was asked to sign this form under duress.
I want to raise why this is so important to others who may be as sensitive or bewildered as I was.
Whenever I have to sign any form, and we all have to as a matter of life, I go into a state of complete emotional and terrifying paralysis.
I need to know exactly what is in the fine print, I need to have a copy of what I sign, I need to know it's legitimate.
I still go into these what I call paralysing times and too often, as they affect my day to day living by virtue of being something we all do, sign our names on papers or petitions etc.
I have asked the Salvation Army for a copy of that signed consent form that they didn't tell me was a consent form to lose what I did, my own conceived, carried, born baby, and they tell me they don't have this.
They have "lost" it.
Even as they have my incoming and outgoing forms showing my doctors name and some other things that I aslo requested, and they finally after endless writing to them gave me. They really didn't want to know about me frankly.

The Salvation Army have conveniently "lost" a lot of paper work it now has come to my attention and this is to their discredit and disgrace.
They have traumatised me for a lifetime by doing what they never had to do. Ask me to sign. I know from meeting others I am not alone here.
After all I was a minor and my parents had signed for me.
I was 16 when my baby was born.
How long do people keep traumatising others in the name of a just and good God, it's not just nor good, nor anywhere near where I know God, or goodness, or plain decent civil humanity. It's the most heartless and ungodly thing to do to anyone.
For this I find it extremely hard to forgive the Salvation Army.
How can you begin to forgive people who were so utterly cruel they asked me and others to take responsibility for what they in fact were doing and did.
They asked me to sign so they wouldn't have anything to do with what they did, and that's putting the whole responsibility onto me. The birth father, oh no responsibility, he didn't even exist, yet he does and did.
All was put onto me to be the 'wrong' person, the one who signed what I could never have known would do to my baby or my self and a lot of other people in my family and friends.
They did this when I was in no condition (because of the drugs administered, their bully neglectful conduct, plus lack of food to feed two) for no logical reason.
I'm told by two professionals that was contempt for me, as the birth mother, that was another punishment, that was because I was considered sinful to the Salvation Army.
These people need to apologise as forced adoptions as this have created more horror, more hardship and more profound trauma than I can herein write about.

It may seem a small thing to people who have'nt experienced it, yet that signing had an immense impact that left me traumatised for all my life.
The whole picture and the fine print in forced adoptions is that the staff, all of them, and the governments should have without any doubt have had empathy, sensitivity, human concern for the birth mothers.
We do not and did not enjoy any kindness at the time, and neither today from certain people as a result.
This is intolerable.
Why are the government so adamant to cover up what the Salvation Army did?
Why weren't the Salvation Army personnel shown on ABC 4 Corners, for what they did to many, many others including my self.

The fine print didn't tell me I'd live with what I've had to live with all my life, a broken heart with broken trust of everyone who hands me something to sign, and especially when they grow angry when I ask and legally righfully, "May I have a duplicate also".
That's my right, and I was never given that right when 16.
Many today try that on again, yet I am assertive with this one.
I have legal backing and am in the know now about my rights to just such duplicates.

Another horrible dimension to all this is the government itself sends out unsigned letters to millions of people, and expects them to think they are legitimate when they are not, as an unsigned form or letter never is.
They have a lot to answer for doing this and are in for legal action if they don;t clean this act up.
When are they going to be accountable.
Are they with enough humanity to be this.
The Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions Reports follow on will show the world if they are or not.
Sender:
Birth mother who loves and is still angusihed for her lost baby and a strong sense of justice as I will do feel this loss all my life,
Mia

The social worker who was blacked out on 4 Corners "Given or Taken?" ABC T.V. and news media said she felt 'Aweful, Aweful" being part of the staffers who did as they were told and said to the victims what no one could possibly have said to anyone, to shame the birth mothers into signing consents and "complying".
I'm wondering why this social worker didn't say anything about it all being "aweful, aweful" at the time, and why she thinks she had no choices.
I have been in toxic work enviornments whereby I have witnessed atrociries toward sick people, as well as children and when my supervisors told me to do what was unconscionable I stood my ground, even if it meant, as it did at times, I lost my work, for short times.
I followed my gut and humanity.
We're not here to forget, dismiss or deny empathy and humanity and blindly follow the herd.
There's a question mark as to how many people will follow directives they know are unjust and unconscionable, and it all resonates of the holocaust when no one who was in on the atrociries to say the least, said a word.
They just let it all happen without speaking up and out and walking out, awat from the monsters.
Tight lipped, keep your jobs at the cost of your character and conscience, and obey whatever anyone, and the herd from above tells you, no matter what suffering and huge profound trauma you see in front of you, I think not. You or she had other choices and say you couldn't have done anything other than "follow outrageous devastating to your fellow female persons (motehrs with babies at that) orders".
For a taste of her/your own medecine I'm tonight incognito however I'm fully aware the blacked out social worker did have a choice, and she chose to go with the herd of unconscionable when she may have had some just input that would have prevented a lot of wrong doing, or may have not colluded, simply by walking away and finding other work.
Fine to now speak out, but not admirable you didn't speak out at the time. If you felt "aweful. aweful" then how could you do nothing about what you yourself were involved in by your complicity.
The birthing mothers and their babies had absolutely no voices, what was your real excuse?
Didn't your conscience bother you and how long did you do as you were told, blindly following unjst, tragic instuctions?

From Incognito with a social conscience then and today.

A lot of people watched that show Given or Taken? Incognito with humanity and a social conscience too right, you're too right.
That program showed how horrendous forced adoptions and as a matter of fact all adoptions to an extent are.
The social worker written about all blacked out as you put it, she was true enough didn't want to be sued, and was hiding in blackness for a real reason.
The other social worker took the cake, with her But and thereafter.
It was a shock of a show of reality t.v. not like commercial t.v. stations so called reality t.v.
Incognito with humanity and a social conscience I liked your great perception and compassion.
ABC 4 Corners is one of the longest standing progams on t.v. because it's reality.
Justice for forced adoptions all who suffer and have done so in the past.
Mel

The Senate Inquiry into Forced Adoptions happened in 2011 and closed but not completed in 2012 Frbruary with a Report and recommendations.
How many are aware there was no mention whatsoever in the Budget about reparations and compensations for this important social cause and all those impacted by forced adoptions.
The timing is such they can cover themselves nicely as they aren't due to respond (or will they react?) to the Report until the end of this month of May.
How ruthless.
How absurd.
How neglectful.
James