Concern forced adoption inquiry in 'too hard' basket

Maggie Wilkinson with her daughters Vivienne Cory-Wright, left, and Rebecca Wilkinson, and granddaughter Pippa Wright. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Women campaigning for an inquiry into forced adoption fear the matter is back in the "too hard" basket.

It has been seven weeks since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed she was considering options to examine New Zealand's forced adoption history, including a select committee inquiry.

A spokeswoman from the Prime Minister's office said today there were no further updates to give.

An unknown number of young New Zealanders had their newborns taken from them and adopted out to married couples during the so-called "baby scoop" era, from the 1950s to 1970s.

Waihi woman Maggie Wilkinson was one of them, and her petition for an inquiry was presented to Parliament last year by Ardern, then the Opposition's justice spokeswoman.

"I don't know whether they still put it into the too hard basket," Wilkinson said of the lack of action.

"I'm trying to be patient. I'm trying to not have a knot in my stomach. But, honestly, I could sometimes just sit in my garden and howl."

The Australian Government formally apologised in 2013 for its estimated 250,000 forced adoptions, after an inquiry concluded young women were deceived and threatened into giving up their babies.

The previous National Government declined to order an inquiry, saying other issues like domestic violence law reforms would take priority.

Wilkinson gave birth at St Mary's home for unwed mothers in Otahuhu at the age of 20. Other women at the home had been abandoned by partners or ashamed families, or raped.

She made a deal to work in the nursery and in exchange be allowed to keep her child. But the matron told her parents she wasn't the type to cope, and they accepted her authority.

When Wilkinson's daughter Vivienne was 18 she tracked her down after approaching Jigsaw, an organisation that helps reunite separated families.

Both the Herald and Wilkinson have been contacted by other women who lost children through forced adoption, as well as their children.

"We desperately tried to keep him, no one would help," one woman wrote to the Herald. "I have gone on to marry, have two more beautiful sons, a successful career ... others were not so lucky. But nothing can change the desperate feeling of wanting to go back to that day and rewrite the outcome."

Another woman, who asked not to be named, told of losing her daughter after giving birth following a stay at Childhaven, a home in Epsom for unmarried mothers.

"The day after she was born, I had sorted out a job and a home for us both. I then advised staff that I was going to keep her. Within the hour, social workers swooped, threatening to call in a psychiatrist to prove I would be an unfit mother," the woman wrote.

"Shortly after, I was discharged from National Women's [Hospital], taken to Childhaven to pack and put on a plane back to Wellington, sitting on a rubber ring wrapped in a pillow case because I'd had many stitches. The whole process took less than half a day."

Churches that ran homes for unmarried mothers have said they are ready to aid any inquiry that is called.

The forced adoption of babies in Ireland was documented recently by the Oscar-nominated film Philomena, based on a book by journalist Martin Sixsmith.