By MARA PATTISON-SOWDEN
A WARBURTON man who didn’t find out the truth about his forced adoption until recently says a new law fining mothers if they try to make unwanted contact with their now-adult children is a disgrace.
William Hammersley, who was fighting to change the draft bill (Identity Search, 16 April) attended a rally at Parliament House held by support networks Vanish, Origins Victoria and ARMS Victoria on Tuesday 7 May, but it wasn’t enough to stop the bill.
The Victorian Parliament passed adoption legislation on Wednesday 8 May that will allow mothers to find out the identity of their children who were adopted out at birth.
But the Adoption Amendment Bill will also fine mothers more than $8000 if they try to make unwanted contact with their now-adult children.
The bill was part of the Victorian Government’s commitment made at the time of the Parliamentary Apology for Past Adoption Practices.
The legislation has, for the first time, united the three support networks for people separated by adoption, to oppose a system they say stops mothers having equal rights, as well as criminalising them with fines.
“It’s a disgrace that they’ve passed this law that is one-sided,” Mr Hammersley said.
“It’s a lie that it brings us in line with other states – those that have contact vetoes have it for both parties not one or the other, the thing these women are asking for is equality for their own sons and daughters.”
He said he believed now that Victoria was stuck with the law, it needed to implement it by ensuring children who were forcibly adopted out are given the truth by letter.
“When the child is identified and sent correspondence about their mother contacting them, they (in the department) should at that point clarify the truth to that adoptee about their past so they’re not making an un-informed decision,” he said.
“We’ve already been fed the lines for years and in my case it was quite clear, I never found the truth until last year and there are many out there against their mothers and the biggest thing is they don’t know the truth.
“We’re talking about adult children, their mothers might be in their 70s, 80s or 90s by now – we’re not talking about people who need protection from little old ladies.”
Last week opposition frontbencher Jacinta Allan told media that the legislation would force mothers to go through even more difficult experiences.
“To further victimise them, to slap on criminal sanctions – nearly $8500 fine – on their activities simply because they want to connect with someone they lost a long time ago, is just unacceptable,” she said.
Six states and territories have contact statements/vetoes in place for all parties, not just the mother or just the child, while Western Australia doesn’t have contact statements for either party, while Victoria’s new law allows adult-children to veto contact from their parents if they don’t want to see them, but the children can contact their parents regardless.
