Call for national memorial for mass grave babies

A councilor from the area where a mass grave containing the bodies of around 300 dead and aborted babies was found has called on the government to create a national memorial.

Unmarked burial site in Oldham, Greater Manchester Discovered earlier this year By a woman who was searching for the graves of her twin brothers who died in 1962.

Before the 1980s, the bodies of stillborn and aborted infants were often taken by hospital staff from the families, who were not given any details about their resting place.

Independent councilor Maggie Hurley said it had so far been confirmed that, following Freedom of Information requests, the bodies of at least 89,000 aborted or stillborn babies have been buried in mass graves across the country.

Before a local church service on Sunday to honor those buried there, he denounced the practice as a “social injustice” and called for the creation of a national memorial.

“No matter how much we want to, we can’t rewrite history, but we need the government to acknowledge that it happened.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said the independent Law Commission was working on a project looking at “improving burial records”.

“Once published, we will consider their recommendations to create a framework for modern, consistent regulation across the system,” he said.

Before the 1980s, medical staff were known to offer explanations such as telling bereaved parents that their children would be placed with “a good person” who was being buried the same day – often without telling them goodbye. Without giving a chance to say.

“He was just taken away,” Ms Hurley said. bbc radio manchester,

“The belief at the time was the best thing was not to look at it – don’t look at it, don’t hold on to it, you’ll get on better.

“Go and have another baby, we’ll deal with it, we’ll bury it with someone nice today.

“At that time, no one questioned authority – it was a very different world.”

However, the bodies of infants were often buried in mass graves in cemeteries.

Warning: Some readers may find the details below disturbing

Ms Hurley said the site found in Royton Cemetery in Oldham was “12 feet by 12 feet by 12 feet – it was a pit and it was completely filled in”.

Those buried in that particular mass grave included about 30 adults.

Ms Hurley said the family, who were with relatives at the scene, were “outraged” but also relieved after finally learning their location.

He said, “I’ve met mothers who have walked past that grave to visit their (deceased) relatives, who had been in the cemetery for 20, 30, 40 years and never knew their child was there. “

“No one is pointing fingers or blaming anyone. We can’t go back in time.”

Ms Hurley called on the government to “acknowledge this and make a statement, create a national memorial somewhere”.

He said Sunday’s service at St Paul’s Church would be for anyone affected by the issue, “which has never been done before because it’s hidden.”