Major compensation win for mothers of forcibly stolen babies

Millions in compensation has been announced for mothers impacted by historical forced adoption in Victoria. 40,000 forced adoptions occurred between 1958-84.

Christine Burke and Robyn Cohen were forced to give up their babies for adoption. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mothers whose babies were forcibly stolen are set to soon receive compensation under a redress scheme to be established by the state government.

Premier Daniel Andrews unveiled the more than $4m package on Thursday, which includes a $500,000 hardship fund.

The funding will immediately provide crisis counselling, as well as the option of receiving “integrated birth certificates”, which will include the names of both the adopted person’s natural parents and their adoptive parents.

Meg Hales, Veronica Shanks and Mireille Dremanis were forced to give their children up for adoption. Picture: Mike Burton

“No amount of money will change what occurred in the past,” Mr Andrews said.

“But we’ll try and repair that damage as best we can.

“These practices were abhorrent then and they are condemned by all of us today.”

The hardship fund will provide discretionary payments to mothers affected by forced adoption with “exceptional circumstances” he added.

An additional $200,000 in funding will also assist community groups to support applicants.

It comes a week after the government announced a similar scheme for Aboriginal children who were stolen from their family members.

Mick Edwards and Eva Edwards react after the Premier announced $10 million will be invested to develop a scheme which will have Stolen Generations members and their families at its heart. Picture: David Crosling

A government report tabled on Thursday morning, seen by the Herald Sun, stated the eligibility criteria should be “broad and include mothers who gave birth in Victoria and mothers who gave birth interstate but now reside in Victoria to account for the fact that many mothers were sent interstate for their pregnancy and birth or moved interstate due to the trauma”.

The report, in response to the Committee’s Inquiry into responses to historical forced adoption in Victoria, explored a range of traumatic experiences suffered by families prior to the Adoption Act 1984 being implemented in 1985.

At 17 years old, Lyn Kinghorn was left screaming in the halls mourning her stolen child. Picture: Jason Edwards

At the age of 19 when June Smith had her baby boy out of wedlock it was forcibly removed from her by nuns at the women's hospital. Picture: Alex Coppel.

There was 40,000 forced adoptions between 1958 and 1984.

Babies were taken from mothers at birth, with some mothers medicated to stifle any resistance, the report stated.

It added: “Sometimes false promises were made, written consents were falsified and records were ‘lost’.

“Whatever the individual details, the taking of babies from unwed mothers occurred routinely and in a social setting of secrecy, blame, shame and alleged sinfulness, where institutions, professionals and the mother’s own family conspired to hide the pregnancy and the resulting baby.

“This secrecy had long-lasting effects and mothers and adopted children have felt silenced and unable to tell their stories.”

Mr Andrews and Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes will front the media on Thursday.

Originally published as Major compensation win for mothers of forcibly stolen babies