The Truth Recovery Independent Panel is working to uncover the untold history of Northern Ireland’s mother and baby institutions, Magdalene Laundries, and workhouses and the pathways and practices connected to them.
These institutions did not operate in isolation, and as we widen our call for testimony, it is crucial to hear from a broad range of people connected by their employment roles with them, whether they were social workers, police officers, GPs, midwives, magistrates, or others.
Even those who lived near these homes and workhouses may have insights that they can offer on what went on inside. A further important group we wish to hear more are the couples who adopted children from these institutions, as their experiences and memories will provide invaluable insight into how children were treated and of the adoption process.
Of course, we continue to collect the testimonies of all those affected by these institutions, such as birth mothers, their children now adults, and other family members of girls and women who were sent to mother and baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and workhouses.
We urge more of those affected to come forward to offer testimonies on their experiences in the institutions and the long-term impact of those institutions.
Testimony is collected in a safe and sensitive format and there is support available before, during and after the testimony process, for those who are victims-survivors.
Our mission is to create a comprehensive, aggregated truth, as Hillsborough campaigner Phil Scraton puts it. The more accounts we collect, the better we can understand how these institutions operated, who was affected, and how practices evolved over time.
Although our investigation focuses on Northern Ireland, we are also analysing the impact that these institutions had beyond the border. Many people have since left the region, either due to adoption or other factors, and now reside in the Republic of Ireland, the UK, or even further afield—in places like Australia, Canada, and the US.
This is a global story, and we want to hear from anyone whose life has been touched by these homes, regardless of where they now live.
We will wish to hear from members of religious orders, including priests and ministers.
While the public often associates this issue with nuns and Catholic-run facilities, Protestant institutions played an equally significant role in the treatment of pregnant women and their children.
In fact, greater numbers passed through mother and baby Institutions associated with the Protestant churches than was the case for Catholic institutions. It is important to ask what were the churchs’ policies? Did some individuals debate the process? These are the some of the questions we want to explore.
Every small detail counts, and no piece of information is too insignificant.
For example, someone who regularly took family laundry to one of the Good Shepherd Laundries (in Belfast, Derry or Newry) may have witnessed the women working there and the conditions they worked in.
A single observation like this could be an important part of the puzzle when piecing together the broader picture. Similarly, we need to establish what was considered routine in these institutions versus what was abnormal.
The importance of every individual testimony was made clear recently when a participant came forward and informed us about a mother and baby home that had not been included in the investigation’s original list.
Thanks to that individual’s persistence, the home has now been added to the list and will be presented to the public inquiry. The TEO will also need to consider adding it to the list of institutions on the redress scheme that it is developing.
It was also through people coming forward that concerns were raised about practices at some private nursing homes where pregnancies were hidden from public view and babies were separated from their mothers soon after birth.
These accounts make it necessary for the panel to further expand the scope of our investigation and bring overlooked aspects of this history to light.
We encourage as many people as possible to come forward because it is essential to capture the fullest spectrum of testimonies as possible in order to capture the most accurate understanding of these institutions’ histories. We wish to listen, document, and give voice to all perspectives. Together, we can piece together the broader picture of this hidden history.
Giving testimony to the Independent panel offers people the opportunity to shape the panel’s final report. In doing that, it also offers the potential to shape the panel’s recommendations to the public inquiry on what issues it should focus upon during its hearings. This is an option that has never been available to victims-survivors in any previous investigation and we hope that as many people as possible will take it up.
:: If you would like to give your testimony, or to want to find out more, please contact the Truth Recovery Independent Panel by: Email: testimony@independentpanel.org.uk or phone: 028 9052 0263.
