Reus to search for Francoist mass grave using ground-penetrating radar

Authorities investigate a former well in Jacint Barrau street where dozens of prisoners may have been buried.

Generic image of a ground-penetrating radar survey in an urban area to locate underground structures.
IA

Generic image of a ground-penetrating radar survey in an urban area to locate underground structures.

The Department of Justice will begin geophysical surveys in Reus on March 31 to locate a potential mass grave from the Francoist era in Jacint Barrau street.

The investigation will use ground-penetrating radar to find an old well linked to the Pich i Aguilera factory. Historical records and local testimonies suggest that the site contains the remains of dozens of victims who died in a nearby concentration camp established at the Escola del Treball building after January 1939.

"A relative went down into the well in 1951 to check the water level and discovered dozens of piled bodies."

Antoni Batlle i Mas · Historical witness
If the radar data confirms the existence of the well and the presence of remains, the Generalitat de Catalunya will consider a full archaeological excavation. This site is already listed in the official Mass Grave Map of the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship.