Wiltshire MP Sarah Gibson has issued a powerful call for justice and recognition after revelations that more than 89,000 stillborn babies were buried in unmarked communal graves across the UK — many without the knowledge or consent of their grieving families.
Freedom of information requests have uncovered that until the late 1990s, stillborn babies were frequently placed in shared plots without ceremony, record, or memorial. Parents were often told they could not attend the burial, or in some cases, were not informed it had taken place at all.
Gibson, Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham, was inspired to act after being contacted by a constituent whose sister was buried in such circumstances. She has now tabled a parliamentary motion calling for urgent, compassionate, and transparent government action.
“John, a constituent of mine, contacted me about his family’s situation last year. In the 1960s, John’s mother gave birth to a stillborn girl who was then buried in an unmarked grave. I was really moved by John’s story and the impact that not having a place to grieve had had on him and his family,” said Gibson.
“I feel strongly that is a national tragedy that has remained hidden for far too long. For decades, grieving parents were denied the dignity of mourning, the right to say goodbye, or even to know where their baby was laid to rest. These are not just statistics; these are children, and this is trauma that families have carried in silence for generations.”
“I have launched a campaign, starting with a motion to Parliament, calling for better recognition for babies buried in unmarked graves, and for better support for grieving families.”
“My motion calls for government support in helping local authorities identify burial records, install commemorative plaques or memorials in cemeteries, to ensure families can finally have a place to remember their child. John’s family is one of many who deserve support and I am so grateful to him for raising his experience with me.”
In her plea to Parliament, Gibson added:
“The state played a role in this injustice. It must now play a role in healing. Memorialisation is not a luxury. We owe it to every family who left the hospital with empty arms and unanswered questions.”
John, whose family’s story has become central to the campaign, also shared:
“Mum and Dad had no idea where their daughter was buried, they were never told. As no birth certificate was required for a stillborn there was, unlike today, no funeral, no goodbye and ultimately no closure.”
“Our sister is one of untold thousands of babies buried in almost every cemetery in the UK under grassed areas that are uneven, where there are no markers. These areas are tended by dedicated council employees many of whom know why these patches of green deserve to be well maintained.”
“Let’s hope that one day soon all these uneven grass patches will have a modest memorial acknowledging that they did indeed exist, and they were loved.”
Gibson’s Early Day Motion (EDM) has already received cross-party support. It urges the Government to ensure burial records are preserved and made accessible, promote national recognition of the trauma caused, and support families in memorialising these sites of historic mass graves.
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