Bodies of babies and children discovered among remains of 300 in mass grave by woman searching for twin brothers’ graves
MORE than 300 bodies, with the most being of babies and kids, have been found in a mass grave in Oldham.
The grave in Royton Cemetery, was found by a woman looking for her brothers, with one stillborn and the other dying within five hours in 1962.
The resting place measures just 12x12ft.
Out of all the remains discovered, 146 were of stillborn babies and 128 babies and young children, according to councillors Maggie Hurley and Jade Hughes, who revealed the grim find in a statement.
Up until the mid-1980s, stillborn babes were often taken from families with no consultation with their parents, who would not know where they were taken.
The councillors said: “It’s a stark injustice that parents were denied the fundamental right to bury their babies, a right that should be inherent and unquestionable.
“This situation should stir our collective sense of fairness and empathy.”
They added the woman who found the grave was left “in tears” following the discovery and left her “feeling a profound sense of loss and injustice”.
She needed emotional and practical help to cope with the trauma of her discovery, they said.
The grave is not the only one of its kind in Royton Cemetery, with another three of a similar size, the councillors said.
Of the 303 bodies found, they added there were only 147 names online, with 156 names missing – though they say this has been addressed.
The councillors said: “We also asked about the other cemeteries across the borough, and we were informed that there is missing information for these cemeteries as well.
“The staff are currently in the process of rectifying this by cross-referencing all available records and updating the online database.”
They have put forward a motion to Oldham Council to ‘recognise the injustice’ that has taken place, the Oldham Chronicle reports.