NICOLA Sturgeon has offered a “sincere, heartfelt and unreserved” apology to thousands of mothers who were forced to give up their child for adoption.

In one of her last appearances in Holyrood in her role as First Minister she told  MSPs: “The horror of what happened to these women is almost impossible to comprehend.”

She said forced adoption practices were caused by a society that treated women as “second class citizens”.

Addressing MSPs in the chamber as victims and campaigners watched on from the public gallery, the First Minister said: “(Forced adoption) is a level of injustice which is hard now for us to comprehend.

The Herald is only £1 for three months.
This offer ends Friday so click here and don't miss out!

“So today, how do we even begin to explain how such appalling acts could take place?

“Obviously, they were the product of a society where women were regarded as second class citizens, where unmarried mothers were stigmatised and where people in authority had too much power.”

Ms Sturgeon said similar practices took place in other countries, but added: “That does not for a moment excuse the appalling mistreatment people suffered.”

Fighting back tears, she issued a formal apology to all of those impacted by forced adoption.

READ MORE: Kate Forbes: No second attempt if I lose SNP leadership contest

She condemned the practice, which is estimated to have forced 60,000 women – many of whom were unmarried – to part with their children.

“As a Government and a Parliament, we can set the record straight,” the First Minister said.

“We can acknowledge the terrible wrongs that were done. And we can say with one voice that we are sorry.

“So today, as First Minister, on behalf of the Scottish Government, I say directly to the mothers who had their babies taken away from them, to the sons and the daughters who were separated from their parents, to the fathers who were denied their rights and to families who have lived with this legacy: for the decades of pain that you have suffered, I offer today a sincere, heartfelt and unreserved apology. We are sorry.”

She said adoption practices in Scotland during the 20th century are among the “worst injustices in our history”.

Ahead of the apology the First Minister detailed the stories of three women who had their babies taken away to be adopted by other families.

READ MORE: Who are the DUP MPs who have the ear of Johnson and his rebel allies?

“The horror of what happened to these women is almost impossible to comprehend,” she said. “It is the stuff of nightmares, yet these were not isolated cases – far from it.”

She said forced adoption was “relatively common” in Scotland until the late 1970s.

Ms Sturgeon said mothers were “lied to” and made to “feel worthless”.

“Some women were never even allowed to hold their babies, most never got the chance to say goodbye, and many were threatened with terrible consequences if they ever tried to make contact with a child,” she added.

Some children forcibly removed from their parents as a result of forced abortion were abused, Ms Sturgeon said.

Making a statement on the practice, Ms Sturgeon said: “It is important to say very clearly that many of them went to loving homes – acknowledging these injustices should never be seen as a rejection of the deep bonds that people share with adopted families.

GET THE LATEST HERALD SUBSCRIPTION OFFER  Subscriptions from HeraldScotland

“Nothing can ever invalidate the love that these families have for one another. But it is also clear that many of those affected – far too many – had a very, very different experience.

“We know some will always have lacked a sense of belonging, some may have suffered mistreatment or abuse.

“And all of them will have grown up believing that their mother chose to put them up for adoption of their own free will.

“Understandably, that has affected them – and yet it was never true.”

Forced adoption practices were caused by a society that treated women as “second class citizens”, the First Minister said.

She said: “(Forced adoption) is a level of injustice which is hard now for us to comprehend.

“So today, how do we even begin to explain how such appalling acts could take place?

“Obviously, they were the product of a society where women were regarded as second class citizens, where unmarried mothers were stigmatised and where people in authority had too much power.”

Ms Sturgeon said similar practices took place in other countries, but added: “That does not for a moment excuse the appalling mistreatment people suffered.”

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Meghan Gallacher MSP, said: “It was a humbling to be joined in the chamber by the courageous campaigners of historic forced adoption.

“Today would not have been possible without them and their determination to seek a sincere national apology after 60,000 women were forced to give up their babies for adoption, simply because they were young or unmarried.

“Although a national apology cannot right the wrongs of the past, I hope that it will be the start of a healing process for those suffering lifelong trauma.

“My only regret is that some campaigners have sadly died before this apology was made.

“We must ensure that the support being offered is meaningful and needs-based. We have a duty to make sure that this part of our history never repeats itself and that we protect the rights of women and girls across Scotland.”

Scottish Labour Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie said: “These appalling cruelties are perhaps among the most heinous of injustices that our society has inflicted on women and their children.

“Marion McMillan from Paisley is one of those mothers, she is now in her 70s and terminally ill. Her dying wish is that victims in Scotland receive the apology they deserve.

“Marion has worked with other victims of forced adoption from around the world, has reunited mothers with children and has given evidence that helped to secure the world’s first Government apology for forced adoption, in Australia in 2013.

“I commend the brave and tireless work of Marion and all the other women who have fought for so long."

She added: “It is right that there is formal apology in Scotland for the injustice of forced adoption here and it is beyond time to confront this shameful chapter in Scotland’s history.

“For some this will provide closure, but for many this will just be the beginning.

“This apology must be backed up by a firm timetable to deliver the real action these women and their children deserve – including access to the necessary health services, including trauma informed counselling, and easier access to adoption records.”