The Diocese of Carlisle has apologised for the mistreatment of a woman who was sent to a South Lakeland home for unwed mums when she was 17.
Judith Hindley was sent to St Monica’s in Kendal by her parents in 1963. The Church of England home was run by the Diocese of Carlisle.
Her son Stephen died at a very young age and in 2006, Judith took her own life, close to where her son was buried.
Her husband, also called Stephen said the treatment she received at the home and the trauma of the death of her son, led to her suicide.
St Monica’s was open from 1918 to 1970 and was funded by local authorities. In a report by the BBC, Dr Michael Lambert, of Lancaster University, said it was one of the worst homes he had come across in his studies of homes for unmarried mothers.
Now, the Diocese of Carlisle has released a statement following Mr Hindley’s accounts of his wife’s experiences.
It 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, and which centre on the Diocese of Carlisle’s former St Monica’s Maternity Home.
“It is shocking to learn of such mistreatment, and we offer our sincere apologies and deepest sympathy to Mr Hindley and his family.
“Huge trust will have been placed on 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 long-term mental health issues.
Our Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser reached out to Mr Hindley at the earliest opportunity, and he has since made contact to detail the account of his wife’s treatment at the home and the lasting impact it has had.
“We are grateful for him coming forward and fully appreciate how difficult and upsetting a process this continues to be for him and his family. We are committed to continue to work alongside Mr Hindley as he seeks answers and furthermore, we are fully prepared to co-operate with other statutory agencies as necessary.
“We would also welcome the opportunity to speak with Michael Lambert from the University of Lancaster as to the findings of his research and how this may feed into any subsequent investigation.
“There are a number of archived records appertaining to St Monica’s which are held at the county’s archive centre in Carlisle.
“We will work alongside both Westmorland and Furness Council and Cumberland Council to establish protocols by which records could be made available to the families of loved ones who spent time at the home.
“Understandably, if there are such requests it would be essential that all data is properly and securely handled to protect the privacy of other families.”
It added that there may be other people who have connections to St Monica’s and may be affected by the issues raised and may need further support. It urged them to contact its diocesan safeguarding advisor, Joanna Van Lachterop, on 07458 016884 or at [email protected].
People can also contact Safe Spaces, a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused by someone in the church or as a result of their relationship with the Church of England. Call 0300 303 1056 (answerphone available outside of opening times) or via email at [email protected]
