NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
June 14 2017
Former residents of mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland have called for a public inquiry into allegations of abuse and forced adoptions.
The institutions, which were run by the Catholic Church, Church of Ireland and the Salvation Army, housed women and girls who became pregnant outside marriage.
Oonagh McAleer, who was forced into Marianvale mother and baby home in Newry when she became pregnant at 17, gave birth to a son in 1980.
However, she claims she was prevented from seeing or holding her baby before he was taken away for adoption against her will.
“My baby was taken from me as soon as he was born. I never even got to hold him, or even to look at his face. He was adopted against my knowledge or agreement.
“The nuns and the government did that to me. And they did it to my child and to so many other women and girls and their babies across Northern Ireland for decade after decade,” said Ms McAleer, who is chairwoman of the Birth Mothers and their Children for Justice NI campaign group.
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