Dr Michael Lambert, a lecturer at Lancaster University, has spent over a decade investigating forced adoptions in England between the 1950s and 70s. His research uncovered a cruel regime at St Monica's Maternity Home in Kendal, Cumbria, where babies with disabilities were denied medical help because they were judged unadoptable. His 80-page report has been handed to Cumbria Police.
Government Apology and Support Package
On Thursday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologised in the House of Commons, acknowledging the state's role in the practice he called 'a stain on our history'. Around 185,000 women were made to give up their babies between 1949 and 1976, a 2021 inquiry found. Starmer unveiled a support package worth £4 million over three years, including improved access to adoption records, family reconnection services, and mental health support.
Shocking Findings at St Monica's Home
St Monica's, run by the Church of England, portrayed itself as a safe haven but ran a brutal regime with no fully trained midwife and no pain relief in labour. Dr Lambert found a disturbing pattern of stillbirths and deaths on an 'unprecedented' scale. Documents show infants dying from treatable conditions, with some suffering catastrophic head injuries at birth. Disabled babies were sometimes left to die.
Dr Lambert said: 'The force of the intervention at his birth must have been so brutal to cause such a traumatic brain injury.' He added: 'What we're looking at is the perpetration of a massive injustice on an industrial scale.'
Burial Records and Memorial
Burial record audits uncovered dozens of infants and at least two mothers buried in secret, unmarked mass graves in Kendal. In May 2025, a memorial was unveiled by the Bishop of Carlisle, who apologised for the mistreatment.
Victim's Story
Judith Holt, a 17-year-old sent to St Monica's after being raped, gave birth to Stephen Holt in 1964. He was born with spina bifida but denied hospital treatment because he was 'unadoptable'. He died at 11 weeks old. Judith died by suicide in 2006. Her widower, Stephen Hindley, said: 'I think the baby was murdered.'
Police Response
Cumbria Police said: 'We welcome the report, which is now being reviewed by senior officers.' Dr Lambert noted: 'While the government apology is welcomed, it is important that the police are involved.'
