The Catholic Church continued to facilitate forced adoptions of children born to unmarried mothers into the 1980s, a period later than previously understood, according to a recent report.
Julia Macklin, now 60, revealed that she was pressured by her devout Catholic parents and their parish priest into giving up her daughter, Siobhan, for adoption in 1982 when she was 15. Macklin's account suggests that the practice persisted significantly later than the 1976 Adoption Act, which was intended to end such coercive measures in Britain.
Macklin's father, a teacher at a Catholic school in Manchester, reportedly faced pressure from the priest, who suggested his career prospects would be harmed if his daughter's status as an unmarried mother became known. Macklin described being taken to a Catholic-run mother and baby home in Manchester, where she observed other young women under similar duress.
She gave birth to Siobhan in March 1983 at St. Mary's Hospital in Manchester. Her daughter was taken for adoption two weeks later by a married Catholic couple. Macklin was prevented from seeing the father of her child, whom she had known since she was 14.
Macklin and her daughter were reunited in 2001, after Siobhan turned 18 and was legally able to access her birth records. Macklin had previously attempted to find her daughter but was denied contact by the Catholic Children's Rescue Society. This charity later transferred its operations to Caritas Diocese of Salford, which ceased its adoption support services in 2022.
In July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologized to approximately 250,000 women in the UK who were coerced into giving up their babies for adoption between 1949 and 1976 due to societal prejudice against unmarried mothers. However, this apology did not extend to women like Macklin, whose experiences occurred after the Adoption Act of 1976.
Macklin hopes to obtain her daughter's adoption records from Salford City Council, believing they will provide evidence of the coercion she faced and help alleviate the stigma she carries. She and her daughter were featured in a BBC documentary, "Stolen Babies."
Siobhan, Macklin's daughter, stated that she understands her mother would not have given her up by choice and that she and her adoptive parents are supportive. She expressed a desire for an explanation regarding the continuation of forced adoptions into the 1980s.
The Catholic Church issued an apology in 2016 for historical adoption practices, specifically acknowledging the harm caused by agencies operating under its name. Caritas Diocese of Salford expressed sorrow for Macklin's experience and acknowledged the lasting pain caused by past adoption practices, while noting they were not established at the time of the events and could not comment on specific historical decisions.