Woman whose baby was put up for forced adoption welcomes Welsh Government apology
A woman who was forced to give up her baby when he was eight days old has said she was "not treated like a human being" as the Welsh Government issued a formal apology to the families affected by forced adoption.
Ann Keen, a former MP, had her baby when she was 17 in 1966.
She is one of hundreds of campaigners who have long-called for an official apology from the UK Government for the way women were forced into giving up their babies for adoption.
"I was terrified to tell my parents, it was the one thing you should never do. I was sent away to Swansea from Flintshire because people were ashamed and my parents thought it would be for the best if I could have the baby adopted, get on with my life, and my baby have a different opportunity. You actually need your family around you, it was terrifying", Ann said.
"What happened afterwards, my parents never would've agreed to. After giving birth, I was told I will remember this pain, I couldn't have any relief because I was a bad girl, and it mustn't happen to me again. I remember being stitched and the doctor slapping my leg to keep still."
An estimated 185,000 children were taken away from unmarried mothers and adopted between 1949 and 1976 in England and Wales.
Women and girls who became pregnant outside of marriage were seen as having shamed themselves, and families and institutions such as schools and churches in many cases sent mothers away from their homes so their pregnancy could be hidden.
Mrs Keen told ITV News: "A kinder midwife said she would do her best after I begged to see my baby. She said I could have him for ten days, but 'don't get too close'.
"On the eighth day, I went to the nursery and he wasn't there. One of the midwives said, 'Oh no, he's gone. His new mum is coming for him and you won't see him again'.
"She said, 'Come on, come with me to the bathroom and we will get rid of the milk from your breast'.
"I never felt more worthless in my life."
Mrs Keen said she "didn't feel like a human being", and "that's what happened in the 60s".
"I had no idea how brutal it would be. You give birth, I didn't get to say goodbye, I had to stay there for ten days and then you go home and you're not allowed to talk about it. It's your secret".
In January, Julie Morgan MS said she was personally "truly sorry" that victims endured "such appalling historical practices."
She said that, although forced adoption happened before Wales had its own government, she wanted to "put on record" her "profound sympathy" for victims.
Julie Morgan made a statement in the Senedd
In a statement in the Senedd on Tuesday, Julie Morgan said: “I know the effects of forced adoption and forced family separation are still very much part of the lives of the many people involved.
“The impacts are diverse and long-lasting, not only for the women separated from a child by adoption, but also for the adult sons and daughters who were adopted as babies, and their extended family members. I want to acknowledge the father's experiences when it comes to these historical practices too.
“Many still find it extremely difficult to open-up and talk about the life-long heartbreak they have bottled up for fear of still being judged.
“The feelings of loss, grief, anger and pain remain. Regardless of the societal pressures or social norms of the day, such cruelty should never be an acceptable part of our society in Wales.
“I would like to convey my deepest sympathy and regret to all affected, that due to society failing you, you had to endure such appalling historical practices in Wales – for this the whole of the Welsh Government is truly sorry.”
The decision to apologise to the families affected in Wales comes a month after Scotland's former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issued a "sincere apology".
She said: "For the decades of pain you have suffered, I offer a sincere heartfelt and unreserved apology. No words can ever make up for what has happened but I hope this apology brings you some measure of solace. It is the very least you deserve and it is long overdue."
Mrs Keen said to get the apology was "overwhelming".
"It's so important that we get our respect back - that I get my dignity back. All my life, I have had so long feeling worthless and putting others first, and that's how I dealt with it.
"So much trauma has been attached to this for so many mothers, fathers and the children in particular".
In 2016, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, apologised for the role that the Catholic Church played in these adoption practices.
He acknowledged "the grief and pain" caused to victims, saying: “We apologise for the hurt caused by agencies acting in the name of the Catholic Church. Sadly for unmarried mothers, adoption was considered to be in the best interests of the mother and child because of the associated stigma and the lack of support for lone parents."