Claire Bayley performs a scene from Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's play about motherhood and imprisonment
Scenes from Lost Mothers is a touring play from Clean Break and University of Hertfordshire, written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti.
In this clip, actor Claire Bayley performs a powerful scene from the play. A woman shares with the audience her experience of attending hospital appointments in handcuffs, giving birth with prison officers present and ultimately being separated from her baby.
The experiences described in this scene are not fictional.
Scenes from Lost Mothers presents findings from Dr Laura Abbott's Lost Mothers research project, with input from Birth Companions Lived Experience Team.
Since the play was written, more women have courageously stepped forward and shared their experiences of being subjected to the barbaric practice of being handcuffed while giving birth, despite this going against existing prison policy.
This is why campaigners are calling for an investigation into this use of restraint, and ultimately, and end to custodial sentences for pregnant women and new mothers.
