Man desperate to find long-lost twin sister calls for end to ‘cruel’ adoption secrecy laws

HEARTBROKEN Christopher Kelly has pleaded for a change in the law so he can trace his long-lost twin sister.

The 74-year-old was separated shortly after birth from his sibling Catherine, who was given up for adoption.

Now he’s desperate to find her but fears time is fast running out.

Down south, there are official middlemen that families can approach to track down birth relatives for an emotional reunion.

But Scots law insists the details of Catherine’s new life must be locked away for a century.

Last night, Christopher who has been hunting for his twin since discovering her existence 20 years ago said: “I’ve now written to Nicola Sturgeon for help because I just don’t know where else to turn.

“I’ve tried every possible avenue open to me but just keep hitting the same official brick wall.

“What possible harm can there be in having someone approach Catherine on my behalf?

“This cruel law is enforcing secrecy and ignorance where there is no need.

“And what is so frustrating is that it only applies in Scotland.

“If Catherine had been born in Berwick or Carlisle, we could have been reunited by now.

“A letter, a photo, anything… I just need to know she’s okay.

“If she doesn’t want to meet her birth family, that would be fine, but I have to let Catherine know she’s not alone.”

Granddad-of-five Mr Kelly, from Leominster in Herefordshire, has learnt of his life in reverse.

The former soldier, who was taken into care at the age of five, thought he was a Londoner until he applied for his birth certificate to get married.

He said: “I was shocked to find out I had been born in Glasgow.

“The paperwork was stamped with the word ‘twin’, but I just assumed that meant there was a second copy of the document.

“It was only when I was in my 50s that a solicitor looked at it and told me that what that really meant was that I had a sibling.

“I tried appealing for information on the internet but with no luck.

“So then I employed a family history researcher eight years ago and she was able to tell me that my twin was called Catherine.

“The documents that this search uncovered has given me the life story I never knew I had.

“Catherine was adopted in Scotland but my mother and I moved to London when I was about 18 months old.

“But I’ve no idea why I stayed with my mother or who Catherine’s new family was, where they lived or what has happened to her since.

“It’s possible she doesn’t even know that she was adopted.”

The twins were born in 1941 at Glasgow’s Stobhill Hospital to troubled Catherine Kelly, who was originally from Plean, near Stirling, and separated from her husband.

The three of them lived at the Barnhill poorhouse before she and Christopher headed for London.

One thing is for certain somewhere in Scotland, details of Catherine Jr’s new identity are held by a court.

Which one is noted on the official adoption register which has documented every such arrangement since 1930 but Mr Kelly is not allowed to inspect it.

The missing twin’s records themselves are sealed for 100 years and only she has an automatic legal right to open them.

But without knowing which court they’re stored at, Mr Kelly cannot even apply for a sheriff to intervene.

Mr Kelly, who lives with wife Dorota, 61, said: “If Catherine didn’t want to meet me, I could handle that, but it’s the not knowing which is killing me.

“During this process, I’ve discovered three half-siblings and a brother and sister I never knew I had, which is wonderful.

“But Catherine is the piece of the jigsaw that is still missing in my life.

“They say that twins have a special bond and I just need to be able to get a message to her.

“If the First Minister can’t help me then I don’t know who can.

“I’m still waiting to hear back from her.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “While we cannot comment on individual cases, we recognise that some people want to trace family members who have been adopted.

“Services are available to access information where the adopted person has given their consent to be contacted by estranged relatives.

“The law covering the restriction of adoption papers is a safeguard for those who have been adopted as well as birth relatives who might not want their details known.

“While there are no current plans to change the legislation, we have already committed to review what services are available to the birth relatives of adopted people.”Have you ever tracked down long-lost relatives? Tell us your story on 0141 567 2776 or contact us here.