Senate inquiry into forced adoptions found barbaric, horrific abuses

What I left out of part of my article about lifelong parental emotional support is this.
Having first hand engaged in observing Child Care Centres the ones that have the longest hours of Child Care for infants and preschoolers are those Child Care Centres affiliated with Casinos. It was here I saw children in care and inadequate emotional care for ten hours and sometimes more.
It was here I also was first introduced to the child having care by inconsistent workers as they come and go very quickly due to poor wages as well as high demamds, and uneasy ratios of care workers to children, though this happens in many Child Care Centres, as I've observed first hand.
I end with thoughly observed also thought through views and it's sidetrack, though applicable.
Same sex couples do make very good parents, and they should be able to adopt when these adoptions are not forced.
I also state emphatically, that is if both of these parents understand it is the emotional care one gives their child or children that eventuates in fully rounded adults.
Ecomonic stability has it's limitations, as we can see in extreme when we observe how millionaires have lost all because of one risk too many, something I've also observed first hand. There are ex-millionaries living in public housing in NSW and other states in Australia today.

Best and positive wishes to all who suffer as I do, yet with potent and positive supports today, with forced adoptions.

I tend to agree with anon about importance of 'emotional care and want to add it's a hot topic.
There are too many selfish, narciscistic, rude wealthy who don't give their kids anything but objects and more objects to play with, amd lessopns in every out of school subject you can think of, they leave out the emotional care.
Guess what they the parents didn't get they pass on and on. Shame and sad.
I feel tremendous empathy for the 'victims' of forced adoptions.
Whether you came from wealthy family backgrounds or poverty you deserve the best of care and responsible government apologies and recompense from here in.
Thanks
Darren

I did not know about this site however for what it is worth now that I do, I was in Bethesda as an unmarried mother in 1964, subsequently having a baby. Both the Matron and Lieutenant Harm looked after me with care and concern. I ultimately kept my daughter who knows about the situation. The work load was tiresome whilst waiting to give birth but it was better than the alternatives I had at that time. The only really weird thing that was said to me was from a Captain, I do not remember her name, and her comment has been the source of much amusement in my family since that time. When there was no maternity clothes to wear she insisted on clothing that hid our multitude of sins. Is this derogatory? I guess in this namby pamby era we are going through it may be, but at the time I thought it was funny and still do. If there is anyone that wishes to talk with me about this period I would be only to glad to comply. It should be stated that my mother had just passed away at this time and my father was a bit of a drinker so I was guided by relatives and the staff in Bethesda. On the funny side I worked in the laundry and I love to wash and see clean sheets flapping on a line so maybe it harmed me in that way. LOL Linda

Tuesday, 27 November 2012

By Tim Roxburgh and Ellen Leabeater
Reporting for 270+ community radio stations

The Queensland Government apologised this afternoon for forced adoptions that occurred from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s. During this time newborn babies were taken from single mothers through both physical and psychological coercion and adopted out.

The apology follows a Senate inquiry report earlier this year recommending all states, territories and the federal government apologise for forced adoptions. Queensland is the last state to comply.

Kathryn Rendell (policy advisor at the National Council for Single Mothers and Their Children) and Michael Tizard (Benevolent Society Queensland State Manager)attended the delivery of the apology in the parliament.

Click here to hear the report.

We've just viewed one of your websites interested in how Pamela's going and having attended her huge oputput exhibition in 1992.
Pamela Bridgefoot swoon for the photos of you and you never seem to age, that goes with applause for your dynamic artworks and the lyrical and singing you've done.
For this tragedy you and it seems now very many went through we are deeply saddened it had adverse affects, and deeply grateful we've met Pamela and her family and friends.
What a triumph. What a lot there are many to answer for.
Didn't have much time to talk at the event.
Didn't know it was the beginning of something that would open a lot of eyes.
Robert Frost and famaily.
With respect and appreciation.

This is an uusual addition to the post here.
A birth mum who kept her baby and was admitted to Bethesda is singing their praises.
Of course she's unaware the whole social issue is about forced adoptions.
Given she's got every right to voice her opinions, the birth mothers who lost their babies to forced adoptions at Bethesda didn't seem to have the same so cool experiences.
Don't you just love it when you have these ones who haven't a clue about forced adoptions experiences who have to defend one of the most cruel and despicable corporations who owned Bethesda.
It was the business model not the welfare and care model then that saw forced adoptions rampant.
Too many are promoting the business model instead of the human care and welfare model, and only the latter has any real interest in individual peoplem families, commmunities and societies.
The business model has us all going around in circles going mad.
We have to promote the care and welfare model or this forced adoptions will all happen again.
Back to the mum who kept her baby.
So you had a good experience at Bethesda and knopw nothing about losing a baby by coercion. Your entitled to your views, though this is about forced adoptions not about anyone enabled to hold, let alone care, nurture, protect, feed, raise, with love their babies.
We know too many who attended Bethesda NSW and are today living a nightmare to either greater or lesser degrees, no matter what, as the past, whether confronted or not, was more than tragic for these thousands.
The thousands were not at Bethesda alone. The Salvation Army had many homes and hospitals for unmarried mums and their babies.
They made money from these enterprises, and seem to have lost an aweful lot of records. The business model is abhorrent and now needs to be tackled fullon.
Onlt the care and welfare models have an sense of empathy and compassion in their workplaces and for their patients and or clients.

Thanks
Terry
Birth mother

I have several invited questions for Linda who speaks of her not losing her infant at the well known Bethesda, run by the Salvation Army.
Did you understand that unpaid domestic service for girls (if you were a girl) was exploitation, and given that you were pregnant, wrong to ask of you?
Did you have injections of Stilboestral (given at that hospital) to dry up your milk and thereby deny you the right to feed you baby, whom as you say, you "kept"?
Did you mingle with anyone aside from the staff you have mentioned and know of the rampant unethical conduct of staff at that institution, Bethesda?
If so, did they not draw out any compassion from you regarding their plight?
If not, why not?
What exact supports were available for you so that you were excempt from what all the other birth mothers who lost their babies to forced adoptions went through?
Were you shown your after birth instead of your baby after the birth of your baby at Bethesda?
Were you drugged so that compliance to all and anything would have been more than likely?
Who was your doctor?
Did you know that there were isolated private patients who although didn't have to do "laundry duties" were paying for care they did not receive and being humiliated and degraded in other forms of abject abuse?
Did you form alliances with any of the girls or women who lost babies to forced adoptions at Bethesda, if so, why have you ommitted to mention any compassion on your part for their plights?
Do you understand that not losing a baby at Bethesda or anywhere has nothing to do with the very profoundly tragic horror and trauma of losing a baby at impressionable ages?
Do you understand flowing sheets on lines domesticity is not what all women dream of?
Marion
(Health Professional)

For reasons of confidentiality I am anon.
I write here to offer Owen Brannigan my deepest and most sincere respect and appreciation for all the tireless work he did with me during a lengthy stint of analysis.
I believe Owen may work at Manly Hospital today? and trust this does not breach any confidentiality.
This man went above and beyond the call of duty to activley listen to my experiences of forced adoptions and all associated with same.
This man is of a standard that is so high to gain merit from both the medical including psychological communities in Australia.
I would not have been able to stand let alone understand a depth of the experiences I had, had it not been for his remarkable professionalism, compassion, empathy and CARE.
If Owen reads this, yes, I now have my own words, and yet many, many have been inspired by the wisdom you gave me.
I'm healing resolving again as this is all in our faces, have had other accumulative traumas as life gives most of us it seems, yet am indebted, or graciously appreciative, to Owen Brannigan. The man who taught me there are caring sensitive men in this world.
It's about "we", not simply me, and Owen exemplafies what it means to be "we". He also gave me the seeds for authentic compassion for self, therefore others.
ThankYou

There were as far as I've learnt no choices at all for the young teenagers who lost their infants to forced adoptions.
The numbers of these is outrageous. The torturues, different depending on the individuals were nothing like christian or religious goodness, the opposite, torturous cruelty o a magnitude I'm disgusted with.
When you look at this a lot more the more you see the injustices and how these teenagers had to face and not of own choices the most cruel tortures.
Whatever triumphs some may have had they are still left with that accumulative and terrible tregedy of such a callous loss at such a very vulnerbale time and age.
My sister in law is related to one of the now women who is struggling to find her way as this forced adoptions histoy and records unfold.
How dare the religious ever think like Bush that torture is anything near religious or christian good, when it's abominable and should be outlawed all over the world.
Wendy Matthews

The adolescent girls and the women who were forced to sign papers, be denied information, be denied care, or do anything that they didn't want to do consciously, or even unconsciously, were denied a basic right.
My therapist after my forced adoption tragedy, handed this to me in one large dose of therapy some time ago:
"I have the right to plan and control my life - it's a basic!
No one has the right to inflict their cruelty on to me, to crowd me in, psychologically, emotionally or physically, to block this basic right."
This is a basic, and it was a basic when forced adoptions were rampant and disgraceful.
We have to look at what is happening with forced adoptions as well as with any all other Australian and overseas social issues which do not respect this basic herewith.
Thanks
Gemma

My 3 questions to Linda LOL are
How did you get to keep your baby when you were apparently in the home not the hospital (to do laundry duties that is you had to be I'm told)?
What stopped the staff treating you as they did all the victims who have come forward to show they were treated callously?
Do you know there are legal action against Bethesda and the Salvation Army?

Toni

I'm not sure but somebody might have written the wrong name for the reputable therapist.
His name is spelt either Brannigan or possibly Brannagan?
Whatever, it's the same name as that opera singer overseas, same spelling.
There needs to be available therapists who are with credibility and staying power, otherwise there's no point to a weekend therapy session, like the commercial models so commonly imposed on the unsuspecting targets of lots of different wrongs or hurts.
Good luck to the targets of forced adptions, you need to be understood and have nothing imposed again that is unlawful, cruel or takes away your natural justice.
Rod

A few people have written about various therapies and therapists.
There would be a need for those who haven't resolved this kind of tragic grief to attend professional therapy.
This doesn't mean it has to be imposed on anybody.
Therapy is not easy to attend.
I work with a lot of mothers, some who have lost their babies to forced adoptions.
There are those who choose therapy and get a lot out of it, and those who don't want to do this.
The ones that don't go to therapy may have a few more issues and need help however compulsion to attend is not on and has to be their choice.
Some therapists are with expertise in certain areas and will do therapy for forced adoption grief outside of their range of expertise.
Dr. Rickarby is in retirement and did a lot of therapy for forced adoption targets as it was his area of expertise.
What seems important is that the National apology forthcoming understands the girls who are now women have do and will possibly always suffer to some greater or lesser extent no matter whether they have great social networks and therapy or not. They need supports in health to remedy their prolonged grief.
If this had been very recent the therapy and all reparations would be a whole lot easier.
It was kept secret for such a long time, and that's part of the unconscionable nature of it all.
The women had to know their shadow side and cope with despair and anguish most of us couldn't even imagine, let alone stand for.
For the women I know at my work who have lost to forced adoptions I hope Christmas doesnt bring you down with triggers of family that you were denied ever having.
I wish you all a very supported and fortunate Christmas and a happy new year.
You need some things to finally resolve to your advantage rather than others. It seems like everyone was supported except the mothers with babies.
Good to hear there are those who support each other, and I fully support my colleagues in this and an unjust issues at work or outside of work.

B. Wakefield

There's something wrong when the remorse and guilt the Salvation Army as well as other "businesses"
should feel is not forthcoming.
What is tragic about this is without them coming to own their remorse and guilt re. forced adoptions they can continue to do as they already have.
The mothers need to have forgiveness and acceptance, that's a big ask and needs a lot of resources to gain.
To get there there needs to be restorative justice, with compensations to these women who lost under very profoundly traumatic circumstances.
The one mother I know, and well, is in extreme pain and especially around significant times as one writer said that are celebratory like Christmas the Birthday etc.
This insanity of the Salvation Army and the like not showing any remorse or guilt re. forced adoptions has a lot of us thinking. We here question these kinds of "businesses" as corporations are just that.
The woman who wrote how she kept her baby from Bethesda said she'd answer any questions.
We've looked at this site a few times and she - LOL Linda - has lost her tongue.
It's about justice, peace and some form of resolution for the women who lost babies when those babies were wanted. Forced adoptions has nothing to do with those who in fact did not lose their babies.
How some writers write about "unwanted pregnancies" is totally insensitive, cruel and wrong; they were and are "unplanned" not unwanted.
The mother I know felt a bond the minute she felt a kick inside her belly. Every one I know understands that kind of "bonding" of mother and baby.
Ditto best of luck at this time and in the future to any one who suffers at this time because of forced adoptions and the unethical, inhumane practices found in these.
Finally inhumanity like this needs to be resolved, through law and governments.
The Marshalls

Without any exceptions for the mothers who lost infants in this terrible way there needs to be more than an apology.
It's been shown to me the devastating effects of that kind of loss as went on with forced adoptions, by enough for me to realise this is all inhumanity at it's most cold and callous.
We all have to acknowledge this kind of loss has vast implications on those it victimised, in some instancces as has come forward, even criminalised. These mothers and their children were innocent.
The perpetrators were guilty of inhumaity just as the slave trade was an inhumaity.
The mothers and their children have my family and my own compassion and respect, I wish them the best therapies to gain some resolutions, apologies from all who coerced them to lose to tragically, and compensations, to all of them.
Judy

My Christmas and all your years wish for all suffering or who have suffered from forced adoptions is that you all never ever are afraid again.
Do not be afraid, as that is what this all did to you, made you terrified of what was next.
How dare they have done this.
Therein lies answers and remorse they the perpetrators of such inhumanity alone have a vey important duty to respond to, and the sommmer the better.
Fearlessness, strength be yours, as bullys only react (they rarely respond as that takes thoughtfulness and care) to strength, though that's an awkward word.
Who of us is weak when confronted with the most inuhumane
atrociries against us or our fellow man.
We are humanly shocked or totally bewildered, not weak.
I again reiterate, don't be afraid to live and love again and again.
It grows and has a remarkable rippling effect even on those we least expcet it too.
From: Just someone who loves to write and knows quite a bit about this topic, also wanting healing for the masses affected by forced adoptions.

On the 21st March 2013 Julia Gillard the Prime Minister of Australia is going to give a formal apology to all affected by forced adoptions which happened in a certain time frame 50's. 60' and 70's I belive is correct?
This is an apology that will help healing processes for many can only imagine, and it's good the news came out in 2012.
All the best to those who with this have all had brought back very painful memories and those who have lived with these for far too long.
An apology is a start as it acknowledges realities some still want to keep tragically hidden and unresolved.
Mia

My colleague and friend has just received an over familiar e-mail asking for "sympathy" and "support" for their community. They are clearly thinking everyone who lost to forced adoptions are all the same and of the one community.
They are called ARCS, which is also the name of another company, however, this one deals with adoptions, foster care and other related areas including adoptions.
The e-mail was intrusive requesting the individual concerned do what they wanted her to do, without any insights into what she had already done and is doing with her own professional network and indeed communities, which are not limited to any adoptions or issues related to same.
This idea that all the women who suffered loss to forced adoptions are one and the same is a nonsense.
Each woman would have their own chosen views and knowing or learning about forced adoptions, as well as growth or otherwise.
Not all would want to align with a community or group called ARCS who spread themselves thin working for all aspects of loss of children or loss of family.
If they have done good work and want contributions from others (as seems they have suggested from their unsolicted e-mails) they had better be prepared to pay for the services of those who have travelled the furthest to gain optimum expertise in this area of loss, forced adoptions.
ARCS are no doubt with good intentions however the way they send out e-mails when the receivers have never asked for any contact with them is outrageous.
Asking for sympathy and advising their funds are short when they have WA state government fuding is better addressed to their WA state government not targets of forced adoptions.
For the calm and peace of all who are stuggling with forced adoptions ARCS needs to re-think what it is doing and put a value on the forced adoptions losses, rather than ask for sympathy from targets and playing poor.
Asking for the targets time with anything at this time of year is very poor taste indeed.
Enough is quite enough.
Some adoption groups may need to think about compassion and humanity with a new mind which understands everyone is not the same, and no group has any right to intrude on any individuals and their own peers privacy at any time to ask for pity or funds.
Thank you Indy
Jim

Adoption Research & Counselling Service (Inc) are asking for more than an apology for forced adoptions.
There have been very many asking just this and yet A.R.C.S. Inc seem to think they are leaders and are asking victims via mail to do their bit to help them with this as well as complaining about their low State Government Budgets.
All we can say is the insensitivity of this group is astounding and rude.
They represent the following people or circumstances, as per their website:
* Adoption ( not necessarily forced adoptions)
* Pre-adoption
* Step or blended families
* Families created through assisted reproductive technology.
We suggest that instead of writing to victims of forced adoption for their effrots, research or whatever they hold that A.R.C.S. wants, they go public and put their requests in the news media, as on here for instance or in mainstream media or some other way that gains the infkuence they so seem to be seeking.
They want this vicariously by writing to the victims some of whom have gone above and beyond and continue to toward this social injustice.
A.R.C.S. (ARCS) have chosen to lure the victims in with a "friendly" Seasons Greetings" then a call for more than an apology.
As if the whole world doesn't understand an apology alone will not heal anybody. It does however acknowledge past serious inhumanity, a beginning.
Too many have already raised this in the news media and in other forms.
A.R.C.S. has no right to seek it's own agenda and further funding, which it also asks covertly in it's letters via the victims.
This again is rude, selfish and thoughtless.
When one goes to e-mail them and send a comment one finds they have an addition afterwards: Tell a friend.
They should be telling the news media and the governemts what they want not almost, in a very real way, victimising the victims again by manipulative means. And at Christmas, some of these "groups" are profoundly insenstive and rude.
The Potters

Just found out ARCS are asking clients for payment for their counselling services, or whatever services they offer.
Is this allowed, by a not-for-profit Inc.?
I'm astounded at what I've just read about this group and also the mentality of other similar groups who are constantly trying via rediculous means to gain funds from the victims or payment for newsletters or what the victims don't need.
They are very unprofessional to say the least.
I do agree that an apology is a very shallow recompense for all the individual victims of forced adoptions.
All conscionable people believe this.
It's appalling ARCS want to take advantage of the victims, as the victims should never have to pay for counselling and of course are very entitled to litigation against the perpetrators.
I'm not talking about litigation against the governments, though I believe there should be, I'm talking about litigation against the instituions that carried out forced adoptions.

Narelle
Employee of government

ARCS are unconscionable and now exposed.
Nobody has to pay for counselling from then or any other Inc. or company as this is the right of those who were forced to lose via this travesty of jusitice
ARCS asking for payment for services we do not know are professional and by means which are like a lot of the charities, begging and harassing the victims this time.
Abhorrent.
James
Solicitor

My wife and I have invited a mum who lost her one of two children for Christmas, with her second child and friend.
This woman's original family leave her out of all celebrations as they do her child and friends.
They are very decent, admirable people and left out completely.
This is what we call "Criminal Neglect" and those families who dismiss or reject the mothers who lost so profoundly should be charged for this, it's in law, and a just law "criminal neglect when they were pregnant and alone when not alone, and criminal neglect in the here and now".
Just read about ARCS, they're just like every other greedy charity, give them an inch and they harass you forever for money, more money, more money when most of that money goes on PR and promotion.
Thanks
Charles

The authorities are guilty of "Criminal Neglect".
They have to show their guilt that they've transferredonto the victims.
Victor

We know a mother who lost to forced adoptions who now has to live in a block of units where there was a gang rape in a unit down stairs from her.
The "mother" still has nightmares about when she couldn't sleep, not hearing anythingm, just knowing something in the building was very wrong.
You can guess who her landlords are.
The police event number of that rape has been charged to a legal chambers for evidence of how this woman has to live.
The victim of a rape herself as a girl, and of forced adoption, she now has to relive what she went through though she was not gang raped.
Just one "father" who didn't have any conscience, and one girl of 15 years old who had no knowledge of sexulaity, violence and treachery as this until that time.

This whole forced adoptions has opened a terrible tragic can of worms.
No apology by anyone is suffficient to rectify all the massive damage these girls and women went through.
We are committed to helping this woman as are her colleagues, legal representatives and family.

Marilyn and Dennis

Because of all the destruction forced adoptions has caused to the victims, all of whom are either living with disabilities or traumatised to an evident extent even now all the churchs including the likes of the Salvation Army and places that are not know as actual churchs to many need to pay the government monies to pay all the victims compensations.
There's no other way these mothers can reclaim any dignity and life, any future. And they are entitled to a futire, their past was one of terror and victimisation. They were frankly martyed.
The dignity and lives that was taken away by these church church aligned or cult institutions.
Girls in public care in these did laundry duties as well as other.
Girls in paid private care in these were paid by their parents and were barbarically mistreated in other covert ways as has been shown.
The churchs can now pay up for what they did.
It's time.
Some of these women are living right on the edges because of the damage forced adoptions caused them.
This is not on in any society let alone an Australian one. Compensations to all the victims of forced adoptions via the churchs mass of gain from wrong doing now exposed.

Gregory (father of four)

Where's the Royal Commission into Forced Adoptions.
We've read and heard to much.

If the government thinks the common people will accept a simplistic "sorry" next year forget it, we wont.
This messy saga has made us all cringe.
Whod do this to any pregnant teenager or woman?

All of us have decided to look into some of the institutions involved including the Benevolent Society.
This multi mega rich company which is not beonevolent keeps getting funding to help the victims when they themselves did the dirty on them. Whats that all about to?

Randwick Music Co-op

What the last commenter said is accurate.
The churchs involved and the church like corporations like the Salvation Army are guilty of criminal neglect.
They all have and had a duty of care, as well as very "moral" obligations to the victims of forced adoptions.
These people whove become mulitnationals through
not practising what they preach, compassion, now need to pay out what they took. As do the others. Will I name them. We all know who they are.
Though as one journalist said "what price is a baby" or "what price is the loss of one's baby".
My question is "what price is one life lost or delayed to the extreme, late bloomers, traumatised becuase of the very profound trauma of such a loss as this?"
How do you count the costs then and in the future of this kind of barbaric, horrific abuses.
There is no closure to this until the victims are free of their neglected lives, all of which were not neglected by them selves. They were without supports, without voices and without any choices. Because, much like what the Gestapo did to victims of what we NEVER want repeated, compassion and the ability to feel humanity for one's fellow man was missing (out of action/brain dead) for so very many "professionals".
Shame on them. They cannot and will not get away with this as the women have spoken up now.
The terrible secrecy and the Pandora's box has been opened.

tim

nieghbour and friend of forced adoptions victim

Im appalled by forced adoptions.
There needs to be be more of this Pandforas box opened and it looks like it's happening whether the churchs and salvos like it or lump it.

Angela

Ideas here and hope their helpful to heal at least inspire the mums who lost their babies.

"Our best universities have forgotten that the reason they exist is to make minds, not careers."
by William Deresicwicz

I want to add our CRS have forgotten they are there to rehabilitate their clients not to get them jobs.
Rehabilitaion takes time, they are cutting the corners of their clients as it stands.
Somebody mentioned Commonwealth Rehab earlier and we read with interest alongside our own ideas about their real purpose.

When anyone has been through such an enormous life trauma as forced adoptions it doesn't mean they've lost their minds, as we've seen, there's some independent thinkers amongst them, however it does mean they need healing, real support today, encouragement to grow and flourish, that is by and from independent professional minds.

Thanks
Ki

I've an aunt whose had a baby with forced adoptions surrounding the birth.
All I know is the more they harmed her, or continue to, it shows.
Even as my aunt looks pretty good on the outside, she's contending with emotional things nobody should have to.
I'm all for a Royal Commission into forced adoptions.
Because the more they harm anybody the more they have to pay the price of those people's suffering.
This is not a class issue though I agree it seems like it was.

Sydney

There's a lot to be said for a Royal Commission into Forced Adoptions.
I'm an adoptee and have'nt got any self pity but know my bio mum has been shunted and shuffled about by government agencies for many years.
She's been treated abominably by bureaucrats as if she was cattle, a number.
That kind of mindless cruelty churning my bio mum in and out of programs and trying to deny her her basic human dignity sickens me.
I'm watching from a farly influential place in the scheme of things.
If the government treat my bio mum with further contempt disregarding her humanity and human rights further they face the consequences.
Who neck treads, throws to the wall while churning in and out of time and place, or looks down on someone like my bio mum who always thinks the best of everyone.
She's been traumatised for a very long time and now has every right to her self respect and dignity not being taken away from her again. That's what Forced Adoptins obviously did to a lot of people, made them lose belief in themselves.
For my bio mum the support network we have together with other family, friend and colleagues will not allow Forced Adoptions to be watched by anyone in a divisive them us way.
The PM all politicians and the bureacrats are the people.
We're all interconnected.
As for adoptive parents, mine were not suited to my needs, my cognitive style.
However, I've made a life from a tragic sacrifice my bio mum was forced to make.
I'm grateful to her and there for her as her "son". (not "birth son")
008

My husband showed me this sight because he's what you all call an adoptee.
I want to have my say.
This made me lose all faith in religious people.
It's made me feel like Australia was in a horrible way when forced adoptions happened.
It's in a horrible way as if the world has gone crazy if these kinds of injustices are not fully compensated.

My husband's met his real mother she's the kindest women I've met.
The story about her loss though shows others took advantage of her kindness to hilt.
Forced adoptions affected my husband but I'm not telling about that.
It affected my real mother in law tragically and for that I can't find any words.
I'm a mum it's horrible to lose a baby in any way. My husband and I support all the victims.
Weve taken our real family back in our lives and at least this mum will not be alone anymore.
How horrible this world is when you see what a lot of people think is ok when it's horrible.

I work at St Vincents hospital and see there are more patients admitted to emergency for alcohol consumption than any cigarette thing, and the government make revenue from alcohol so what the heck. What the heck, it is important to start controlling alcohol abuse and use.
It's often the cause of rapes. Very often. We see those victims to.
The government can put that horrible revenue into compensations for the victims so can the churchs, most of all the churchs.

N

I'm so bewildered by forced adoptions as well as traumatised by it.
You see I am a birth mum.
Ever since that time whenever anyone loses a loved one it's as if I am a magnet.
They come to me and say without exception "Now we understand how you feel".
I have a lot of people who treat me as a kind of therapist and tell me their grief over and over again.
When they are close I accept I have an obligation to them to be there for them.
When it's strangers or just acquaintances I feel as if I'm disoriented, and want to shut down.
They give me their sorrows without thinking how sensitive I am to all of them and how I can't carry all this, yet it's imposed on me without my asking.
I know we're meant to be here for our fellow man, however surely everyone has the right to know some joyful people as well as the morose ones even if I'm or they are traumatised.
There's something in this that tells me these people who dump all their morose on my e-mails or onto me consistently that shows me others who are meant to be there for them (not their lost loved ones, I mean professionals to help) are unavailable.
This is very sad.
There has to be understanding that though those of us who have lost tragically have knowing of this we are not doormats for others to wipe their feet on.
I've only just begum to tell some of my so called friends please can you tell me the more happy things in your life too, as I drown a bit every time you only took about the loss.
I am responsible for me so I talk this forced adoptions out with professionals who are able to be objective.
What is stopping others from doing this?
I think it is that nothing as yet has been done to handle the very large need for counselling, and nothing has been done to explain to all that counselling is not admitting some weakness, rather a strength.
How can I be an unpaid therapist for all and sundry?
From here on in I am not.
It's up to the states, the commonwealth and the churchs to start taking responsibility for the victims, of whom I am one, whilst the individuals take as much responsibility for themselves as they can.
They or we can take more responsibility for ourselves when we're give back our self respect and dignity, and never ever treated like doormats.
Wasn't it that we were considered doormats when we had our babies taken from us?
Martyrs and doormats are replacements for those who have done the wrong things.
Justice for forced adoptions victims.
Only justice and good counselling from genuine professionals with expertise in this area of tragic loss can heal any or all of the victims.
I have given up the role of being the doormat, and told some of my so called friends, tell me some of the joy and take your woes to counselling.
Fortunately I have enough people in my circle of friends and family who do not treat me as a doormat, otherwise I'm sure the disorientation would be something much more severe.
I suffer enough.
When do people learn dumping on your so called friends is not what friendship is all about.
Professionals are trained to deal with such traumatic losses as forced adoptions or similar.
Thanks

I'm concerned about forced adoptions or I wouldn't have come here.
A site named Family Preservation Advocacy (http://familypreservation.blogspot.com.au/) Adoption Haves and Have nots... worth a see if one is interested in some people's views and news about adoptions.

In my mind there's room for adoptions in specific circumstances.
However I know for fact forced adoptions happened to rich, poor and in between mothers.
Whether they were any of these they became poor because once pregnant, birthing and without ANY supports they became poor financially and lost their babies to those who had financial supports.
The birth mothers in the time slots of inquiry had no such financial supports, whether they were from privileged or disadvantaged backgrounds. There wasn't discrimination on that basis, as most of us already know by now.

Forced adoptions were all about discriminations based on marital status and cruel abuse of power to begin with and then the most profound tragic traumas for the birth mothers, and fathers if they were "there".

In hope these injustices will be remedied.
In hope also we don't ignore adoptions of babies who have no one is not wrong at all.

Friend of birth mother, supporting her through many flashbacks occuring as forced adoptions has finally been raised and a national apology forthcoming.
The birth mothers constant grief tears from these alone have made me understand the anguish of such losses.

Thankyou Independent Media

Whilst we all who give a **** want to see an end to the bushfires.
We all who give a **** want to see an end to the ptsd or any trauma related symptoms these mothers in forced adoptions have.
I draw to everyone's attention that mining (going into darkness, cavens, day in and out) causes mental problems and a lot of people employed by mining companies have severe, often very severe mental or psychological injuriies.
So how can Gina Rinehart say she earnt her money "honestly".
Just as how can these churchs who charged fees for maternity care say they earnt that money "honestly".
It's time to reevaluate what "honest business " is, and it's not business that by it's very nature causes people to lose their way or lose their psychological awareness.
These people like Rinehart should be showing how "honest" she/they are by philanthropy, for the bush fire victims and all who need a hand up in these harsh times.
Singing their own praises is pointless. They have to give and show compassion.
The business model is not as it seems.

Paul
Maroubra NSW

I like what Paul has said.
Rinehart I've read does do some philanphropy in Cambodia, and we don't know if any in Australia, but a good point.
She'd have enough to man air and other equipment to aid the bush fire crews right now, enough to give to the victims of forced adoptions in Australia a trust fund for say counselling and compensations.
She's the richest woman in Australis and the world.

I also like what Paul said about business models.
There's an activist, independepent writer and author of
'Small Change: Why Business wont change the World' named
Michael Edwards whose very inspiring.
Business will not change the world, as the business model leaves out care all too often.
Care for each other, as shown by the bush fires, is humanity.

Do we leave it all mainly to those who arent rich and yet have the gumption and heart to act and fight fires altruistically, and those who fight for justice for forced adoptions living on peanits, I think not.
Philanphropy is on the rise and I live in hope it affects this social cause.

Hope

For those who knock the Australian Defence Forces who are a Defence Force not an Attack Force, the helicopters and planes doing most if not all the fire fighting are just theirs.
Think about this.

For those who knock all the Australian wealthy there are those who privately give large sums to just causes.
They dont let it be known because the "charities and churchs" would be at their doorstep non-stop.
Perhaps the only problem it seems is they don't always give their philanphropy in Australia. Unsure why not, but things might change now.

For those who knock climate change, come now.

For those who knock these women whove lost children to forced adoptions and aren't quite appearing to "pull their weight" if you think again you might find they were and are doing amazing things without money gains, to better this world. They lost babies not their own hearts and minds. They are a valid concern and an apology is more than an acknowledgement and needs reparations through concrete measures.

Care Matters.

I can substantiate Paul's comment because a lot of my relatives working in the mines ( great uncles, uncles, dad etc) went crazy and when I was young it affected my whole extended family. It was from the mining work not our DNA or genes we found out.
It's the darkness and being underground for so long it causes terrible things to happen to the workers.
I think with forced adoptions the loss is so dreadful because these mums were given no options at all.
It was take from them when they were very down or vulnerable.
That's not a fair or decent Australian spirit either.
Good on Paul for suggesting more philanthropic practices in Australia it's about time the likes of Gina and a lot of others with big pockets to start showing respect for those who with justification, cannot always work in paid labour.
Gina needs to also know there's a lot of unemployment because the jobs aren't there.
The safer the jobs the more likely they'll attract staff who respect themselves and their employers.
Good luck to the victims of forced adoptions, it's dreadful this news.

Damien

With all respect the two things bush fires and forced adoptions incur or incurred enormous emotional catastrophes.

How can anybody compare these bush fires ravaging places in Australia that everyone who can is doing eveything to be supportive with and contain, doing amazing things to stop; with forced adoptions that nobody offered or gave any supportive prptection or safety to the victims of?

Also mostly bushfires are natural causes and effects except for the ugliest who are arsonists, and forced adoptions were incurred by man upon the most vulnerable.

We're all today concerned about the bushfires, especially if we have loved ones living in these or near these as I do.

A lot of us are concerned about forced adoptions from another time, I know a birth mum and love her.
Nobody seemed to care much then except the few who have spoken up now about forced adoptions.

As one comment says we have enough natural disasters without man making disasters against his or her fellow persons.
Do we upon thinking compare the savage arsonist with the perpetrators of devastation to all these single mums though? They wanted to hurt and disciminate whether it was conscious or unconscious. they most certainly did their damages. I've got fire in my belly as the saying goes about forced adoptions, it's contained and harnless, and will be satisfied when justice happens.

All my prayers are being said for both of these things.
I'm not even an organised relogious person, but this is all too much.

I think forced adoptions stink.
Further to what's been in the media here I think Rinehart stinks too.
Go to yahoo.com
Gina Rinehart ABC Sydney Australian Broadcasting ......

Totally need philanthropists to help with the bush fires this could be extra air patrols from corporations.
Or don't they care unless it's one of them.
Likewise we need Gina Rinehart's heart to become warm.
What a sad woman she is with all she supposedly has in assets and money.

Best of luck to forced adoption mums and their adopted kids here.

Gra

I'm an adoptee who knows a lot about mainstream media.
Forced adoptions hasn't had enough of this.
Guess why, the buggers ar Fairfax that Gina Rinehart will or is part owner of now own the mainstream media.
They give us only what suits them, and nothing that is caring for the honeest hard working or family person, or even the singles who care about others.

Gina Rinehart sgould give to the bushfires and should give to trust for forced adoptions but her greedy gungho nature, talking about Africans working for $2.00 a day as if that's o.k. here too, is way off the planet and she wont give.
She's been a taker, even if she came from wealth, she never stopped taking and to think earnt her money in that nasty business of mining.
Was she involved in what the movie Gasland showed us too. Probably. It's all about mining after all.

The churchs get it right, your losing your credibility every single day these forced adoptions ans sex abuse cases come to public's knowledge.

Yvonne and Wazza

The Salvation Army have a mission statement, here it is.
"The Salvation Army, an international (Corporation) is an evangelical part of the universal christian churchh.
It's message is based on the bible. It's ministry is motivated by the love of God.
It's missiom is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION".

Their missin satetment tells everybody they don;t practice what they preach cause forced adoptions was all about vile discrimination.

I'm tired of these kind of self promoting do gooders who have more than enough and give too little back.
Food for the bush fires what's that but an insult.
No apology for forced adoptions, that's their shame.

Terri

I'm supporting my long time friend and neighbour whose lost her first baby to forced adoptions.
What pleases our community including all our relatives is the apology is due early this year, in March I hear.
When my friend heard of this she broke down in my company while doing breathing yoga at my place and cried her heart out.
The thing is both of us are still unsure if those tears were sadness ones or happy ones.
Certain it is the apology has taken a long time even when a few fearless people stood their ground and tried to bring this apology a whole lot sooner.
Better late than never.
Good luck to all the victims of forced adoptions

David

We've been contacting Community Services in our state for an answer to this question. Continuous "no response".
The question is: "When did private adoptions become illegal in NSW in the 60's, 70's, whenever?"
If any one who reads this, knows the answer and wants to be thoughtful, informative/helpful please let us know.

Thanks a lot.

We know of one victim of forced adoptions whose being constantly harassed by the housing departmet who are there to be delegaters of decent housing for all who ahev received this.
This mother continuously receives illegal letters as in unsigned and without ID letters from her public landlords asking for access to her privacy and home.
This is regular and ongoing, and often the ID's are never available or the landlords leave small notes without reference numbers on them asking her to contact them urgently for no legitimate reason.
She's been categarised as elderly when she's below the age of receiving any pension for age, and not old.
This is another form of discrimination happening as we read further about what happened years ago.
The department well know this woman's conditions yet continue to harass and harm her with abuse.
We're investigating this and the mother has a lot of supports today however this is despicable and another example of how that same discrimination thse mothers received yesterday doesn't stop until the authorities back off from the vulnerable, or until the victims take action either legally or through just supports.
Shame on housing for this kind of behaviour toward paying tenants who are doing all the right things by themselves and society gererally.
Thanks Indy
Vick

I've read about forced adoptions and thought how repressed society was then. Not just discriminatory and vile.
People thought what was natural and normal was abnormal, or those who lived unconsciously did.
Tonight I read about breastfeeding and an mns survey shows Many people have said they think mothers should be discrete whilst breastfeeding their babies, again absurd vile and repressed people voted this way.
These people show they sexualize even a mother baby relationship.
Sex criminals do that too.
The female breasts while breast feeding or whilst being given drugs to stop breast feeding for forced adoptions are not sexual in nature, they are maternal.
What a repressed lot of drongos we have in Australia and have had.
Though mns surveys don't necessarily show the real truth possibly. Who responds to some of their rediculous questions.
This one at least re. breast feeding has shown how those who do respond have some issues to look at and how.

Best to the forced adoption mums and best to all who have to breast feed their babies on trains buses wherever out of necessity so the infants have sustenance and life.
For gods sake.
NBD

I support the two comments from Vick and Terri and a lot of the others here.
The Housing staff too often abuse their positions of authority and I know a lot of good people who ended up living in these places out of reasons like targets of forced adoptions the aftermaths.
The Salvos what can we say except they don't own up to their hypocrasy.
Hypocrites never see how others perceive them and that's not the worst of it.
They never admit error when they've made it, just like departments of housing.
Both are power abusers and I agree a lot of us are looking at them and speaking up for the vulnerable these days. There's a growing populace who want changes with these "mobs" of bullies.

Good site Indy
I like the comments and think there's a lot of thought given to this topical injustice.

I'm an ideas person.
Know this subject.
One of the things taken away from the birth mothers or mothers who were forced to lose their babies was their social respect.
It was taken away in one foul swoop and unconscionably.

What about this as a form of reparation for these women.
The government implement non generic programs that are flexible to individual needs of these women who don't have industrious intellectual work, such as allowing them to study under grants, or allowing them to gain access to intellectual work whereby they are distracted from their grief.

It's never too late to grow.
Ideas are needed from a wide spectrum of people as per reparations.
These women could have the courses of study or work experiences paid for by the perpetrators, and or with government assistance.

It's a very good idea toward reparation and resolve of one of the most horrendous kinds of grief as this.

All the best to the victims and their families.
Don't let anyone stop you from growing, and don't let anyone shove you into some "scheme" that is below your level of competence and ability, no matter what dis-abilites you may have.

Social respect comes from apologies, from industry one does and from being out in the world amongst diverse people doing what you can with your individual talents.
You all had it taken away so horrendously now it's your turn to regain it back if you haven't already, and it seems like many have not, that's too tragic and as said here can be remedied if society today shows basic care and compassion for these mothers, who also probably lost hope in themselves with a lot.

Social networks are just great, however, more is needed to remedy such a profound trauma as is forced adoptions.

Cheers
V.V.

A Commonwealth apology is not enough in this instance.
Whether the words are sincere and adequate, as we'll see in March, or not, they're simple words without deeds to help the victims.
My closest fiend suffered this kind of loss, has never regained her equilibrium.
She's so special doesn't even know she matters most of the time. Puts everyone else first instead of seeing she does matter, and to a lot of people.
Her therapist was wrong for her though she stuck it out for a while.
He talked about himself more than tried to help her understand her pain and grief. She finally gave up and now depends on my consoling her. I don;t mind this because she doesn't whinge and moan about it all, and is never negative, something I admire about her. I can see she's not living as well as she could and should. She has a lot of distress in her life that could be alleviated with the right supports in this era.
An apology alone is not enough because it doesn't show respect to the victims in tangible, constructive, helpful ways.
I adsmit it may help some of the mothers feel less degraded than they have been.
My friend needs a good therapist and some decent measures so she lives a life with a balanced inner knowing she's a decent special woman and mother who does matter.
Really all the mothers deserve this.

Marie

I see how the Housing Departments are doing the wrong things too.
They are putting the fear of death into these tenants minds, as a lot of the notes, phone calls or letters they do are for people older than others, yet not of age pension age.
This putting the fear of death is not acceptable.
They are also cutting corners because it's a means for them to see whose died and who hasn't when these departments should be doing the work to know these things.
What they don't get is people die in housing of all ages, and in private rentals also.
It's a sham and a disgrace.

Good on Vick for speaking up about this.
There needs to be a review of their improper practices.
People in public housing are not all of one calibre, age, stage, position in life, and no one deserves to have their quiet enjoyment and time to progress interferred with constantly for petty reasons essentially including [most definitely] those who have suffered targically with forced adoptions. They should back off all these petty bureacrats who follow orders without ever questioning the ethics or professional standards of these.

This applies to the slum lords in private rents as well.

Mia

Recent posts to my company have told us the Prime Minister Julia Gillard is implementing that discrimination is allowable for anyone who receives government funded services.
This is how it was with say The Royal Hospital for Women when forced adoptions happened, and it regressive, not progressive.
It's also against all principles of a right and just government.
Discrimination in all it's forms is illegal and wrong.
If any one receiving discrimination as I have read here on Indy's news about forced adopion look at affirmative action and get as many contacts with real and sincere authority as you can to help you.
The PM has instigated something very stupid because she herself is Government Funded, no doubt with other "benefits" often in her path.
I see Forced Adoptions as a very traumatic tragedy for too many.
I see forced adoptions as one area where discrimination did so much damage and harm.
I finally see how discrimination is what the holocaust was all about.
Who the hell does Gillard think she is, she's crossed a line and there will be repercussions. She's lost millions of votes from that nonsensical "Discri9mination is right by her for public funded services and operations" bullshit.

Reg L.