TVScope: Gone to a Good Home, TG4, (Fíorscéal), Thursday, June 14th
In a situation reminiscent of the Magdalene Launderies in Ireland, the documentary, Gone to a Good Home, aired by TG4 last week examined the way in which adoption was dealt with by the Australian authorities in the 1950s-1970s. During these three decades, thousands of unmarried women were forced to give their "illegitimate" babies up for adoption into what were considered more stable, morally superior and ultimately more "normal" families: those of married couples.
In many cases these often vulnerable young women were exposed to abusive acts such as being drugged or having their babies stolen.
Through a series of heart- breaking interviews with women who experienced such forced adoption, the programme vividly portrays the pain and ongoing devastation suffered as a result of the action of a state acting in what it considered to be the best interests of its citizens.
In one story, Lily, who was nearly 17, two months pregnant and living happily with her boyfriend, was arrested by the police and confined to a Catholic girls home where she was persuaded to sign adoption papers when the baby was born. Thirty years later she is clearly still deeply emotionally affected by this, summed up in her poignant statement: "I don't think I'll ever get over it. It was the theft of my child."
The period described coincides with our own darker days of adoption in this country. Introduced here in the 1950s we too struggle with the aftermath of the anger, pain and injustice perpetrated upon women during that time and the hurt of perceived abandonment, loss of identity, sense of belonging and entitlement to know who you are and where you come from suffered by their children.
What was, perhaps, most poignant in the programme was the emotional chaos that ensues for everyone when unnecessary ruptures of attachment occur.
The issue of adoption has hit the headlines in the Irish media in recent times, with a number of high-profile cases being discussed. The public airing of these cases highlights how far we have moved away from the silence, secrecy and shame surrounding the culture of adoption that the documentary showed.
However, the documentary puts a spotlight on how the rights of those with the least voice in these proceeedings, the children, may continue to be given less weight to maintain our notion of what constitutes a "normal" family as defined in the Irish Constitution. It illustrates the fundamental importance of protecting the rights of the most vulnerable in our society.
It is clear throughout the documentary that abuse of those rights can always take place in situations where imbalances in power exist and those with the least power are not listened to. Perhaps one of the core lessons to learn from the women interviewed is that what may appear to be the good intentions of those in positions of power do not necessarily translate into fair and ethical behaviour towards those with less power.
Until we come to terms with the past and learn to truly address inequalities in society, abuses such as the adoption scandals will continue to be repeated.
Review by Dr Paul Kelly, senior clinical psychologist in the Student Counselling Service, UCD