The Parlament de Catalunya on 19 October in Barcelona as Spain’s first state institution to establish a commission to investigate the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer was set up. At its opening, six survivors spoke about being placed in institutions against their will, control and humiliation in church-run homes, and called for recognition, access to files and compensation. MPs from Partido Popular, Vox and Aliança Catalana were absent from the session.
Pilar Dasí Crespo, Isabel de la Cruz Gallego Soler, Mariona Roca Tort, Maria Forns Roca, Lucía Vicioso Vitoria and Montserrat Alegret Fenoll described how, as teenagers, they were placed in institutions run by the Adoratrices, Oblatas or Cruzadas Evangélicas without effective consent. According to their accounts, they were subjected to strict moral codes, had to work and were often denied access to personal records. Several witnesses criticised some religious orders for continuing to withhold files or making it difficult for those affected to access them.
The commission is to examine the role of state authorities and their cooperation with religious organisations from the Franco regime through to the early years of democracy. Its focus is the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer, regarded as an instrument for disciplining young women and linked to homes run by religious congregations in numerous cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Badalona, València and Logroño. The inquiry aims to document patterns of internment, responsibilities and possible legal violations.
The survivors are calling for three key steps: first, full access to personal and institutional files; second, formal recognition as victims of repression, clearly naming the wrongs they suffered; and third, material and symbolic reparations. These are the demands of those affected; the Parliament will decide their scope and form after the evidence-taking process has concluded.
Politically, the opening marked a turning point in Catalonia’s memory policy. While some members of the chamber signalled their support, representatives of Partido Popular, Vox and Aliança Catalana were absent. The commission plans further hearings with those affected, experts and witnesses from state and religious institutions. What measures follow from its recommendations will depend on the balance of power and cooperation with the relevant administrations. What is clear is that the formal launch of the inquiry begins an organised process in which survivors’ experiences will, for the first time, be systematically gathered and assessed by an official institution.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).