Unethical forced adoptions caused 'irreparable damage'

Mothers and fathers who had their newborn babies ripped from them at birth should be compensated for the ongoing trauma caused by Western Australia's historical forced adoption practices, a parliamentary inquiry recommends.

Unmarried pregnant women were coerced into putting their babies up for adoption against their will and had information withheld with pressure also on fathers and grandparents, the Legislative Council inquiry found.

Its report, tabled on Thursday, revealed many women staying in private institutions leading up to their births were forced into unpaid work, psychologically abused and kept isolated.

"Women were subjected to coercive messaging that they were not fit to parent and that their children would be better off brought up by others," the report said.

"Some were told that if they loved their child, they would give it up."

Many women endured "horrific treatment", the report said, with mothers having their babies taken at birth and not allowed to see them until they signed them away for adoption.

The practice was present among both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people and meant their babies were institutionalised for days, weeks or months.

Authorities at the time engaged in coercive, deceptive, flawed and unlawful ways to get consent for babies' adoptions, the inquiry found.

Some children were placed for adoption before any consent was provided and prospective parents were not vetted or inadequately assessed.

Babies forcefully removed had their identities wiped, with birth certificates replaced with ones stating they were the biological children of their adoptive parents.

Adoption within the state started becoming socially desirable from the 1940s and peaked in the 1970s with children considered a "blank slate" that could be redeemed if they were raised in the "right" environment.

The state government promoted adoption, realising the financial benefits of children being in private homes rather than wards of the state, and so was "centrally involved" in the practice.

The Department of Communities was the primary government agency involved and a driving force in approving and arranging adoptions.

Department officers engaged in "systemic improper and unethical" practices, including taking newborns from their mothers at birth and withholding access.

"Many of these practices served to coerce unmarried mothers to consent to the adoption of their children," the report said.

Public hospitals under the health department arranged adoptions, and staff certified mothers fit to consent to adoption by unethically withholding access to newborns as a form of coercion.

Private institutions including Ngala, Hillcrest Maternity Home/Hospital, and institutions run by the Sisters of Mercy and Salvation Army also played roles in past forced adoption.

The inquiry found separations caused "immediate" trauma for both mother and baby and the effects continue to reverberate through families.

Many adopted people faced identity issues and feelings of abandonment and rejection while mothers felt silenced, grief and guilt, with many experiencing depression, PTSD and addiction.

In tabling the report to parliament, committee chair Peter Foster said existing support was not adequate and more specialised help was needed.

"The damage caused by forced adoption is irreparable, but the harm done must be meaningfully recognised," Mr Foster said.

A redress scheme by government and institutions involved is among the report's 38 recommendations, including targeted counselling and psychological support and a direct personal apology to those affected.

Western Australia became the first jurisdiction to apologise for forced adoptions in 2010, acknowledging the injustice faces by unmarried mothers and their children.