UK's Starmer apologises to mothers and children traumatised by decades of forced adoptions

Before ⁠making his apology to parliament, Starmer met a group of affected mothers and children at his Downing Street residence. Picture: Joe Sene.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday apologised to women forced to give up their babies and to ​those separated from their mothers at birth by a ‌system of forced adoptions that targeted unmarried women in the decades after World War Two.

An estimated 185,000 children were separated from their mothers in ​Britain. Starmer apologised on behalf of the state for ​the lifelong trauma it had caused.

"On behalf of the ⁠whole country, I say it to every single person ​impacted: we are deeply and profoundly sorry," Starmer told parliament.

Between 1949 ​and 1976, the British state and Christian churches created a system in which young women with children outside of marriage were shamed and coerced ​into giving up their babies to comply with the social ​norms of the time.

The Church of England apologised for its role last month, acknowledging ‌its ⁠involvement in running so-called "mother and baby homes" where unmarried women were sent, often against their will, during pregnancy or after giving birth and separated from their babies.

The state's apology — which follows ​similar apologies by ​Ireland and ⁠Australia — comes four years after Britain's human rights committee concluded that the government was "ultimately responsible" for ​the lack of protection for unmarried mothers and ​their babies.

Before ⁠making his apology to parliament, Starmer met a group of affected mothers and children at his Downing Street residence, telling them:

"There ⁠never ​was any shame for you. The shame ​actually is ours. The shame is on the state and all those that ​were responsible for this."