Police urged to investigate ‘mass baby grave’ from Church of England maternity home where young mothers were abused and mistreated

Police are being urged to investigate claims that dozens of babies were buried in a mass grave amid abuse and assault at a Church of England maternity hospital.

The Diocese of Carlisle, which ran the facility, has apologized to the widower of a woman who committed suicide because she never got over the trauma of her son’s death at St Monica’s Maternity Home.

After the death of his wife Judith, Stephen Hindley discovered the horrific secret kept by the church for decades: that a plot of land in a cemetery in Kendal, Cumbria, is an unmarked grave for countless unnamed babies.

Cumbria Police say they are prepared to investigate if a formal complaint is received.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Furness, is leading calls for a police investigation and formal investigation.

He said there is evidence that there are “dozens” of babies in the grave and that it is “very likely that the babies died from lack of care, in appalling conditions because they were not properly cared for.”

St Monica’s was operated by the diocese in Kendal from 1918 until its closure in 1970.

Judith Hindley, from Salford, Greater Manchester, was sent there in 1963 and gave birth to a son, Stephen, who was allowed to die from lack of medical attention.

Mrs Hindley took her own life in her Renault Clio after driving from her home to Kendal to be close to Stephen in 2006 when she died.

Her widower Stephen Hindley, 77, has since investigated the circumstances behind her death and as a result discovered the truth about the cemetery.

Mr Hindley discovered his wife’s baby had been buried in an unmarked grave at Parkside Cemetery, Kendal.

He received a letter from the then South Lakeland District Council, confirming that the area was being used for ‘public burials’ and warning him that there were other burials in the unmarked grave.

Mr Hindley told the BBC that Judith was sent to the home because ‘teenage pregnancies were a shame at the time.’

He added: ‘They were treated very harshly. They worked from morning to evening, that’s what she told me.

‘That continued until they gave birth. It was like something out of a Dickens novel, just awful.”

Judith had given birth to her son in April 1964, but it soon became clear that he was feeling very unwell.

“She told me she begged them to let the baby go to hospital,” Mr Hindley said.

“But they didn’t; they said he would be handled internally. He lasted another eleven weeks.’

He said his wife’s experience at home, and the loss of her infant son, was the trauma that led to her being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and making several suicide attempts.

“She always felt guilty,” Mr Hindley added.

‘She always felt like she was a bad person.

“In moments of desperation, she said to me, ‘I don’t know why you would want to be with a bad girl like me.’ That was ingrained in them from home.’

Tim Farron has taken on the campaign on behalf of Mr Hindley.

He said: “It’s terrible, I’m heartbroken for Stephen and for Judith, who has passed away, and for all their family.

‘It’s completely horrifying and what this has revealed is that, it appears that in a cemetery that I know well, there may be dozens of babies, unnamed in an unmarked grave, who died as a result of the poor care at St. Monica’s in the 1960s. Kendal.

“It’s tragic and horrifying to think of what those women went through and what they may still be going through.

“There needs to be a police investigation and all those babies need to be named and remembered and justice needs to be done.”

Mr Farron said he would push Cumbria Police to launch a criminal investigation, promising to speak to police about “the abuse of women and their babies”.

He said he believed it was “highly likely” that the babies “died from lack of care, in appalling conditions because they were not properly cared for.”

Cumbria Police said it has ‘not received any official report of any crime having been committed in connection with this matter at this stage’.

The force said anyone with information about possible crime should contact police.

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Carlisle said: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Hindley and his family after he came forward with accounts of historical abuse suffered by his wife, Judith, centering on the former St Monica’s maternity home in the Diocese of Carlisle. .

‘It is shocking to hear of such abuse and we offer our sincere apologies and deepest condolences to Mr Hindley and his family.

‘There will have been enormous trust placed in those who supported the young women and girls at St Monica’s, and we are truly sorry if that trust was breached in the care of Mrs Hindley and her baby, Stephen, leading to her mental long-term health. issues.

“Our diocesan safeguarding advisor contacted Mr Hindley as soon as possible, and he has since been in touch to detail the account of his wife’s treatment at home and the lasting impact it has had. We are grateful that he has come forward and fully appreciate how difficult and distressing this process remains for him and his family.

‘We are committed to continuing to work with Mr Hindley as he seeks answers, and in addition we are fully prepared to work with other statutory bodies where necessary.’