Catherine Corless: Forensic team begins recovery of 800 children’s bodies from Tuam, Ireland

Forensic teams have begun the process of recovering nearly 800 bodies of children from an unmarked mass burial site at a former home for unmarried mothers.

Catherine Corless, a historian in Tuam, Ireland, spent years collecting the death certificates and church records of the former Mother and Baby Institution.

She documented 796 children who died there, many of which did not have their deaths recorded in burial logs.

Catholic nuns ran the institution, which housed women who had been shunned by their families after becoming pregnant outside of marriage.

Such “homes” are now well-documented as being oppressive and misogynistic, with records showing a pattern of unwed Irish mothers being forced into hard labour, CBS News reported.

After a child was born at the home, they were usually given up for adoption, though some remained in their own mother’s care.

Ms Corless was initially shunned for her work by some Taum locals, who said she was staining their town’s name.

Years on from Ms Corless’ 2014 report, Tuam’s office of the director of authorised intervention said the remains of seven infants were uncovered from an underground vaulted structure on the grounds of the home.

Testing is being conducted to determine how old the remains are and when the children died. In a statement released on November 7, the office said this process would take months.

Further updates will be provided to families and survivors of the institution before they are released to the media. Updates are expected, at minimum, on a monthly basis.