It has been labelled a national disgrace.
Australia's former forced adoption practices from the 1950s to 1970s during which some 150,000 unwed Australian mothers had their babies forcibly adopted under a practice sanctioned by governments, churches, hospitals, charities, and bureaucrats.
Image what some of these women went through.
You fall pregnant under challenging circumstances, you're judged harshly as people did in those times, you carry that baby to term, and in some cases you don't even get to lay eyes on it before that baby is taken away.
Some women were tricked into signing adoption papers, some were drugged, other physically shacked to hospital beds.
Today the Prime Minister Julia Gillard has given a National Apology for these practices.
It was in 2011 that we first brought you an exclusive investigation that resulted in a national apology from the Catholic Church.
Giselle Wakatama worked tirelessly to break that story in her award winning series "The Baby Snatchers."
Listen to the deeply personal stories of these women in "The Baby Snatchers", above, and find out more about today's apology on ABC News Online.
24-hour assistance hotline ~ 1800 613 155
CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning confidential counselling service ~ 49 791172
For further information about accessing medical records at the Calvary Mater Newcastle, contact the director of social work ~ 4014 4801
For entitlement inquiries under the Adoption Act 2000, phone the Adoption Information Unit at NSW Community Services ~ 1300 799 023
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