UK government apologises for past burials of stillborn babies in mass graves

UK government apologises for past burials of stillborn babies in mass graves

The full report

The UK government has issued a 'profound apology' for the 'unthinkable pain' caused to parents whose stillborn babies were buried in mass graves. The apology was made by Health Secretary Yvette Cooper in the House of Commons during a baby loss awareness debate.

The practice of burying stillborn babies in mass graves occurred between the 1930s and the early 1980s. During this time, many bereaved parents who lost babies in NHS hospitals were given no say in what would happen to their remains and no information about where they had been taken.

According to The Guardian, over several decades, more than 1,000 stillborn babies were interred in Wirral, at Frankby, Plymyard and Landican cemeteries, between 1935 and 1981. Another mass burial ground in Royton, Oldham, is believed to hold more than 270 babies.

Gina Jacobs, from Wirral, whose son Robert was stillborn in 1969, did not know where he had been buried for 53 years. She has been among those campaigning for recognition from the government. Speaking in the House of Commons, Cooper said: 'I have issued that apology to Gina today, but to so many more like Gina who have sought answers over many years, I’m sorry for the unthinkable pain caused by those historic practices.'

The apology has been welcomed by Liverpool councillor Kris Brown, who put forward a motion calling on the government to apologise in parliament to families affected by the practice. Brown said: 'The government’s words of apology will go a long way. For many, just acknowledging that it happened will bring a sense of closure and justice.'