Fresh Appeal For Potential Victims Of Mother And Baby Institutions

The PSNI have issued a fresh appeal for potential victims living abroad to come forward to assist in an ongoing investigation into allegations of criminality involving Mother and Baby Institutions, Work Houses and Magdalene Laundries.

The investigation was launch in October 2021 and enquires to date suggest that there could be more victims and witnesses out there, with many moving or being adopted to countries overseas like Canada.

An adoptee from the Marionvale Mother and Baby Institution, Conor Brogan, now residing in Ontario, Canada is a member of the support group Truth Recovery Northern Ireland. This group alongside others have been aiding the Police Service of Northern Ireland's ongoing investigation. Conor is hoping that by sharing his story, it will encourage more victims who are now residing in Canada to come forward and report.

These institutions housed many, including pregnant women and girls from 1922 to 1990 in Northern Ireland, who often felt coerced into giving up their child.

Thousands of people are said to have entered these institutions over a 68-year period, and a wide range of alleged criminality that potentially happened there is now being investigated.

Since then, officers in the Investigation Team have received 54 reports, including allegations of inconsistencies with birth records from those who were adopted from Northern Irish institutions and now live in Canada.

Conor Brogan, who was adopted from the Marionvale Mother and Baby Institution said: "I was adopted from Marionvale in 1969, 6 weeks after I was born. I have obviously no recollection of my time in the mother and baby institution, but the event of being in there and being adopted, has had a profound impact on me throughout my life.

"As an adopted child now adult, the journey and struggles of piecing together the story of who I am and how I ended up with the family I grew up with, the name I was given, and the family I never got to know, is one that every adoptee faces at some time or another in their life.

"Those involved in the group Truth Recovery Northern Ireland have helped support me and others on our journey, and without the support of others with a shared commonality, this process would be all the more difficult and traumatic.

"In giving my statement to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, I hope to help them build a more complete picture of the practices, legal and illegal, that were undertaken by these institutions and those who supported them and expose criminality where it occurred. Whether that be abuse, falsification of documents, moving babies across international borders without parental consent, and coerced adoption consent by mothers given under duress, all of these need to be brought to light and thoroughly investigated."

Detectives within the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Public Protection Branch are pleased that people like Conor are having the confidence after all these years to come forward. However, they believe there are still people out there who are suffering in silence as a result of experiencing or witnessing potential criminality.

They are appealing to anyone currently residing in Canada, who was a mother or adopted from one of these institutions in Northern Ireland or anyone who visited an institution or worked there to come forward and report to them. Any information could be helpful.

All those who come forward will be spoken to by a specialist detective and will be offered the opportunity to have their account recorded to inform a criminal investigation.

Detective Superintendent Gary Reid, who is the operational lead for this Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation said: "As a Police Service, we are aware of the profound impact on the lives of those who lived or worked in Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Work Houses, and the concerns of the wider public on how they were operated.

"We don't want anyone to feel they have to suffer in silence anymore and we will continue to do all we can to reach as many people with this message as possible.

"We know there are people currently residing in Canada that have yet to come forward who were adopted from an institution in Northern Ireland or moved to Canada following a traumatic experience. We want to reassure them that this investigation is still very much live and ongoing and that we want to hear from them.

"If you were the victim of abuse or other forms of criminality in any of these Northern Irish institutions, or know somebody who was, or if you witnessed anything suspicious, please contact us.

"We care about what you have to say, will listen and support you, and will act to keep you and others safe."

A dedicated reporting system is in place to make it easier for people to report.

If you are a resident of Canada and wish to contact the dedicated Mother and Baby Institutions, Work Houses and Magdalene Laundries Investigative Team, you can do so via the following options:

Email: MotherBabyHomes.Magdalenelaundries@psni.police.uk

Direct line (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm GMT): 011 44 9090 1728

Officers will deal with any matters reported in a sensitive manner and will, where possible, progress matters through investigation.