Written evidence from Harry Barnett (ACU0091)

I am a 49-year-old woman, born on 22nd July 1972. My birth mother was 17 years old when she had me. She had left her home in then New Rhodesia of course now Zimbabwe. She met my birth father in Harare and became pregnant soon afterwards. They parted without either knowing at the time. My birth father returned to his home in Cape Town, South Africa and my birth mother continued on her travels and flew to the UK. During her time here she realised she was having me. She was in London when it became evident that she would need support towards the end of her pregnancy. She was on her own in Wimbledon, with immediate family thousands of miles away in Southern Africa. She felt the only place that she could go to was a mother and baby home. She would later tell me that on one occasion, while having early contractions in an ambulance, paramedics had called her a 'stupid girl'. After I was born, nurses strapped down her breasts to prevent milk flow. It’s my understanding that we had a week together. In the lead up to the labour and shortly after she gave birth, the head obstetrician advised her that she would be 'selfish' and ‘didn’t deserve’ to keep me.

A week after my birth she handed me over to a foster mother. I was with the foster mother for 3-4 weeks before my adoptive family adopted me in Wembley. They would move to Wimbledon when I was 4 years old. I had no idea until later of my early past in the town. I still have the letter informing my adoptive family of the 'fine little baby' waiting for them. This adoption agency letter dated 1st September 1972, was given to me by my adoptive mother just after my 18th birthday. It was the first time I learnt anything further about my genetic roots apart from I was going to be called 'Katherine' and the young girl that had me had gone to America. The letter gave basic information. My birth mother was referred to as a 'Miss'. My birth father was described as 'rather unsettled and travelling around'. I discovered for the first time that I was originally named: 'Katherine Alison Bain'.

For years I had no idea how to even begin tracing my roots. I eventually traced my birth mother through the Drivers Registration Authority in California. I was 24 years old. I flew over to San Francisco and met her in November 1996. During the visit she told me about my Scottish heritage and that my maternal grandparents had emigrated to Zimbabwe. I also learnt about my birth father. On another visit to the U.S she managed to trace his mother who was resistant to divulge any information. His mother told her that it's 'all water under the bridge'. It would be his sister-in-law that sent a postcard to the U.S with his address. He was living in Adelaide, Australia. Before she wrote to him a letter arrived. Photographs fell from the letter. She had tried to let him know about me while she was pregnant. His mother had opened the letter all those years ago and had hidden it from him. He got on a boat to Australia in 1971 and then found out about me when I was 19. His mother decided to inform him during a visit to Australia in 1991. I travelled to meet him in Adelaide in June 1997.

Like all stories, there is so much more to tell. What I do want to emphasise is the loss, grief and trauma that birth separation causes. I was severed from my birth family, and they were severed from me. I was prevented access to familiar faces and the people that I look like. I didn’t have information pertinent to familial medical history. I grew up without the facts surrounding my life. I was raised with the knowledge that I am adopted, although my experience of dialogue around my adoption is shut-down. It is not talked about. Adoption has deeply impacted on my sense of self, my self-esteem, my relationships to others, and my relationship to the world.

When launching the inquiry, it was opened with the statement: 'Everyone has the right to family life.' I believe that my right to family life was stolen from me by bullying, misogyny, misinformation, bias and a corrupt policy that led to my adoption. It was a collusion to not recognise that I have genetic roots before my adoption placement. I've heard it said that adoption is the only trauma where a person is meant to feel grateful. I do not feel grateful. I am life-long traumatised. I believe that the authorities’ treatment of unmarried mothers between 1949-1976 was nothing short of systemic misogynistic practice that only succeeded in the hurt of unmarried women and their children. I am one of those children.

03/12/2021