Fact Sheet #13: BRITAIN'S BLACK MARKET IN BABIES

There was no fertility treatment for those unable to conceive in post-war Britain, their only hope of becoming parents was to adopt and they wanted to adopt a baby, a perfect baby.

For the first time in adoption history babies were in demand, but apart from occasional orphaned or abandoned baby few of those available met the criteria.

Adoption Agencies were inundated with applications for normal healthy white babies but coloured, mixed race, physically and mentally handicapped babies were virtually unadoptable.

The prospect of adopting the baby of their dreams was so bleak couples broke the Law, risked prosecution and bought a baby on the Black Market. Author Diana Dewar revealed the issue in her 1968 investigative book ‘Orphans of the Living A Study of Bastardy.’

Dr.Bowlby’s 1951 report to the United Nations on the subject of Britain’s Black Market in Babies says:

‘It is a social and legal problem which one day will require attention, but it would be foolish to tackle so thorny a problem before the recognised machinery for adoption is in the hands of qualified people who can make realistic assessments of prospective parents. This will take time.’

In 1959 Margaret Kornitzer, Social Worker, adoption guru and author of ‘Adoption’ advised prospective adopters they could have had their pick of children to adopt but for pioneers such as Dr. Barnardo.

‘It was not until pioneers such as Dr. Barnardo rescued hundreds of children from death and a degrading life that things began to change. If you want to blame somebody for the present lack children to adopt begin with Dr. Barnardo.'

Wealthy infertile couples rejected as suitable adopters, or unwilling to wait simply bought a baby, There were numerous incidents of baby trading in the 1960’s but Government was reluctant to publish what was known.

In 1963 MP Leo Apse asked the Attorney General in the House of Commons if anything would be done to stop the illicit trade in babies, and how many prosecutions had been brought in the previous five years. The Attorney General said the information was not available.

Mrs Eileen White addressed the Black Market issue in 1966 when she warning a Labour Conference:

‘London is the centre of a growing and appalling traffic in babies.'

When allegations were made that babies were taken from England to Ireland then sold for export in 1963, Maureen O’Connell, a deputy of the Dail reported that 523 babies had been sent to America in three years.

The Black Market continues to sell babies world-wide and is now the subject of a United Nations investigation.

Copyright © Patricia Basquill, 2002 - 2008