Report finds thousands more women admitted to mother and baby institutions than estimated

Key facts

• An independent panel found systemic failures and serious human rights issues in Northern Ireland's mother and baby institutions.
• Over 12,000 women and girls were admitted to these institutions, more than previously estimated.
• Allegations of sexual abuse and 'baby trading' are to be investigated by an upcoming public inquiry.
• The institutions, largely run by religious orders, operated from the 1920s to the 1990s.
• Survivors reported abuse, neglect, and experiences that may reach the threshold of inhuman treatment.

An independent panel in Northern Ireland has found that over 12,000 women and girls were admitted to mother and baby institutions, a higher number than previously estimated. The report details systemic failures by the state and serious human rights issues, including allegations of sexual abuse and 'baby trading'.

The Truth Recovery Independent Panel, appointed by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2023, gathered testimony from nearly 300 victims, survivors, and relatives. Their findings indicate that many girls and women experienced sexual abuse and rape prior to their admission to these institutions, which were largely run by religious orders and operated from the 1920s until the 1990s.

Among the 70 recommendations, the panel highlighted two individuals for further investigation by an upcoming public inquiry: a deceased Good Shepherd Sister, referred to as 'Sister Z', at the Marianville home in Newry, against whom allegations of sexual abuse were made, and a social worker, 'Social worker A', active between the 1960s and 1980s, accused of organizing adoptions described as 'totally wrong and illegal' and likened to 'baby trading'.

Survivors shared harrowing accounts of abuse, neglect, and degrading treatment, with some experiences described as reaching the threshold of inhuman treatment. The panel also noted the use of private nursing homes for births, particularly before the NHS was founded in 1948 and continuing into the 1960s and 1970s, which may have obscured the authorities' awareness of the situations. Testimonies from children, now adults, who were separated from their mothers also highlighted the lasting grief and loss.