Woman Spent Decades Fighting Bizarre Law That Took Her Children

What would you do if the law stood between you and your children? Merle Kelly was helpless against a government decree that made it impossible for her to see her child for decades. The most heartbreaking part of it all was that Kelly wasn't the only woman fighting this battle — the cruel practice was in place across the continent.

Back to the Past

During the lonely lockdown when Covid-19 first hit Australia, Merle Kelly had a lot of time to reflect. She survived heath scares throughout 2020, both related and unrelated to the pandemic. But the most damage to her health and mind was committed decades prior, and she was preparing herself to face it again.

Never-ending Hurt

A government inquiry was being made about the horror Merle had endured so many years before, and Merle had to decide if she wanted to face it. It wasn't the first time an inquiry had been done, and each time, she'd relived the pain and tragedy that was forced upon her back in her youth. Now, she hesitated. Would going through the pain again make any difference?

Without Consent

The tragic situation Merle had gone through was forced adoption. Between the 1940s and 1980s, this practice was prominent throughout Australia, involving individuals and organizations within and outside the government. From religious institutions to social workers, the horrid practice affected many young women and girls, and it wasn't until 2019 that the Inquiry into Responses to Historical Forced Adoptions was formed to start making amends.

Against Their Own Citizens

The goal of these inquiries was to gather testimonies by Australian women that suffered at the hands of their government. During those 40 years, forced adoption hadn't been a rare practice in the country, but a frequent method of dealing with single mothers. Merle hadn't planned to be a single mother, but she was.