Catholic Church forced unmarried mothers to put their babies up for adoption 'into the 1980s' despite law banning the practice

The Catholic Church forced unmarried mothers to put their babies up for adoption much more recently than previously thought, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.Forced adoptions were believed to have ended in the 1970s – but it has emerged the Catholic Church was still supporting the practice at least into the eighties.There were 250,000 forced adoptions up until 1976 when the Adoption Act 1976 apparently put an end to Britain's post-war scandal – it is unclear how many more may have suffered the same fate after that date.But Julia Macklin, a financial consultant, told the MoS how her Catholic parents and their parish priest pressured her into having her baby daughter adopted using a Catholic charity after she became pregnant aged 15 in the summer of 1982.She revealed how her late father, who was a teacher in a Catholic school in Manchester at the time, was told by the priest he would never get promoted if it was known his daughter was an unmarried mother.She is understood to be the first mother to speak out publicly about being forced to give her child up for adoption in the eighties.Julia was forced to end the relationship with the father of her unborn daughter, a local teenage boy she had met as a 14-year-old at a fairground. She was then taken on a visit to a Catholic-run mother and baby home in Manchester in an attempt to persuade her to go ahead with an adoption. At the home, she witnessed many other young women being forced to put their babies into adoption. Julia Macklin, left, with her daughter Siobhan, 43, who was forcibly put up for adoption in 1983 The financial consultant, has now told the MoS how her Catholic parents and their parish priest pressured her into putting her daughter up for adoption Ms Macklin gave birth to Siobhan when she was 15 years old. Pictured aged 14 with her baby brotherAfter months of pressure, she finally agreed to the adoption, she gave birth to her daughter, Siobhan, now aged 43, in March, 1983 at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester.Julia was not allowed to again see her boyfriend, who she had known for almost two years by then. Siobhan was taken away two weeks after her birth for adoption by a married Catholic couple.The mother and daughter were only reunited in 2001 when Siobhan turned 18 and was legally entitled to know who her biological mother was. Julia had repeatedly tried to track her down but was denied contact by the charity.In July, the outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer formally apologised to the 250,000 women in the UK who were forced or coerced by the Catholic Church, Church of England, social services and the NHS into having their babies adopted between 1949 and 1976 because of prejudice against unmarried mums. But his apology fell short of including women like Julia who suffered forced adoption long after the Adoption Act in 1976, designed to end forced adoptions.Julia, who is now aged 60 and lives in Marple, Greater Manchester, said her daughter was put into adoption by the Catholic Children's Rescue Society in Salford, a charity which in 2012 transferred its operation to Caritas Diocese of Salford, another Catholic charity. It closed its adoption support services in 2022.Her daughter's adoption records are now held by Salford City Council. Julia is trying to obtain the records which she believes will prove she was coerced into giving up her daughter. She hopes that will help rid her of the stigma that she gave her up.Julia, who has taken part with Siobhan in a BBC documentary called Stolen Babies, said: 'The Catholic priest came to my parents' house in 1982 and between him and my mum and dad they told me what was going to happen. Julia was not allowed to again see her boyfriend, who she had known for almost two years, after her daughter was put up for adoption Ms Macklin and Siobhan pictured resting together on a fence in Marple, Greater Manchester The mother and daughter were only reunited in 2001 when Siobhan turned 18 and was legally entitled to know who her biological mother was'I didn't want to give up my baby for adoption because my baby brother was just two and a half at the time and I knew how painful that was going to be.'But I had no choice. My mum and dad were devout Catholics but even though they were not shallow people, they were burdened by the shame and there was a fear my father had that it would affect his career.'The priest took me to a mother and baby home to show me how things would be and I saw many other young girls just like me but I didn't go the home and gave birth instead at St Mary's in 1983 and then my baby was taken away.'I tried to find her but I was told no contact was allowed and I was stonewalled by the Catholic Children's Rescue Society. It was all totally wrong and the more I think about it, the more outraged I feel that they did this to us and got away with it. She belonged with me, and I will never, ever recover from the loss as long as I live.'It was a forced adoption made possible by the Catholic Church and I deserve an apology from the church and from the government because Keir Starmer's apology didn't really include women like me whose children were taken away in the 1980s. 'I still live with the stigma that I gave my baby up when I know I didn't - she was taken.'I haven't been able to tell my story until now because I didn't want to hurt my parents. But because they are no longer with us, I am able to speak out and draw attention to the fact it was still happening in the 1980s.'Siobhan, a health and care manager in Manchester, added: 'There is no way my mum would have given me up out of choice and I have come to understand that over the years and what she was up against. 'My adoptive parents are amazing but I have learned a lot about what my mum went through as well and I believe we are both owed an explanation as to why forced adoptions were still happening in the 1980s long after they are supposed to have ended.'The Catholic Church said: 'The Catholic Church's apology for historical practices of adoption was issued in 2016 and it apologised especially for the hurt caused by agencies acting in the name of the Catholic Church.'The apology still stands and the Church and Catholic organisations that are providing post adoption support continue to reflect on how we respond in sensitive and meaningful ways to those mothers and children affected.'A spokesperson for Caritas Diocese of Salford, which took over from Catholic Children's Rescue Society in Salford, said: 'We are deeply sorry to hear about Julia's experience and recognise the lasting pain that historic adoption practices may have caused for many people and their families.'Caritas Salford was not established at the time and we are not able to comment on individual circumstances or decisions made in relation to historic adoptions.'*Stolen Babies airs on BBC Scotland on Tuesday (September 1) and on BBC 2 across the UK on Wednesday (September 2) and is on the iPlayer from tomorrow (Monday, August 31).