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BBC Scotland home affairs correspondent David Cowan reported that Birthlink, an Edinburgh-based charity, has issued an apology for the destruction of approximately 4,800 personal records related to adoptions in Scotland. The charity was fined £18,000 for shredding the files about four years ago in an attempt to create more space in their filing cabinets. The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO), who imposed the fine, expressed the significance of the lost material as crucial pieces in a person’s history that are now lost forever.
The charity’s board expressed deep regret for the incident and emphasized the impossibility of determining how many individuals were impacted by the destruction of the records. Birthlink assured that they would take necessary steps to prevent such an event from occurring in the future. A spokesperson for the Movement for Adoption Apology Scotland campaign remarked that the shredded items held sentimental value and were not merely stored out of administrative obligation but with the hope of potential reunions.
Birthlink did not maintain a log of the destroyed records but indicated that only a small percentage contained irreplaceable personal documents that were not duplicated elsewhere. The organization had been running the Adoption Contact Register for Scotland since 1984, facilitating connections between adopted individuals, birth parents, and others in hopes of potential reunions. In January 2021, due to space constraints, the charity deliberated on discarding the files, ultimately resulting in the disposal of a significant number of records.
Sally Anne Poole, head of investigations at the ICO, criticized Birthlink’s lack of understanding regarding data protection and records management processes, emphasizing the impact of the lost records on individuals seeking connections and answers. The ICO acknowledged the measures taken by Birthlink to prevent similar incidents in the future, such as implementing new policies and appointing a data protection officer. Birthlink’s interim CEO, Abbi Jackson, expressed deep regret for the situation and encouraged individuals who may have been affected to contact the charity’s helpline for assistance
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