Last night.
Mother and Baby Home survivor Marie Arbuckle (top in 2021) joined campaigners Eunan Duffy and Frank Brehany (Breeda Murphy was away this week) to share her remarkable story of ‘cross-border child trafficking’.
After years of abusive foster care, Derry-born Marie, also known as Maria, was in St Joseph’s training school in Middletown, county Armagh when she got pregnant at 17 and brought to St Patrick’s Guild Mother and Baby home in Dublin to have her son, Paul. She was then taken taken back to Northern Ireland without Paul. The year was 1981 and they would not reunite for another 40 years.
Sponsored Link
Seems in holy Ireland both sides of the border had a Holocaust committed to its single mothers and children and still both governments resist bringing justice to their people
Until it happens the stench of hypocracy and crimes against children will forever stain our society
I was a fortunate one born in a mother and baby home for the middle class but my parents had to flee this country to safeguard my rights
Great discussion – incredible testimony from
Marie. Justice must be served – a child placed with her brother in a fostering situation which the authorities themselves admitted was unfit but yet deemed it perfectly suited for Marie and her brother ?
There are many questions about the placement; the lack of nurturing care in any setting ; pregnancy at 17 and trafficking across the border to a mother and baby home.
The remark from Garda is staggering. I wonder what term they use for the organised movement of children or vulnerable women across borders to another jurisdiction?
Sorry I couldn’t be with you this week, Perhaps we can speak about this soon again. There are so many topics and as Eunan says ‘trafficking is the elephant in the room’ and one which the state attempts to ignore. Marie’s testimony really shows responsibilities are both north and south and emphasises the absolute necessity for cross jurisdiction dialogue, Co-operation and sharing of information.
Well done to all