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Diari de Catalunya

'Stolen Motherhoods' Exhibition Denounces Legal Inaction on Stolen Babies Cases

The exhibition, inaugurated in Sabadell, highlights the struggle of mothers affected by the forced disappearance of their children from Franco's regime until the 1990s.

Generic image of a presentation or exhibition space with a microphone and empty chairs.
IA

Generic image of a presentation or exhibition space with a microphone and empty chairs.

The Stolen Motherhoods exhibition has opened in Sabadell, with the participation of affected mothers' organizations, to denounce the lack of progress in the search for disappeared babies despite a law passed over five years ago.

The exhibition, hosted at the Casal Popular de la Creu Alta, known as El Tallaret, compiles the demands of mothers affected by the forced disappearance of their children across Spain. This practice spanned from the Franco regime well into the 1990s, impacting hundreds of families. The inauguration event included the screening of the short film What if my baby didn't die?, illustrating the gravity of the issue.
The exhibition is built upon first-person testimonies, showcasing the life stories and tireless struggle of families, especially mothers, to achieve truth and justice. The organization SOS Bebés Robados Catalunya is central to the exhibition, featuring interviews with affected women that formed the basis for the short film and an accompanying document.
Among the highlighted cases is that of a mother who was told her twin daughters died during childbirth in December 1980 at La Maternitat in Barcelona, without being allowed to see their bodies. Another case involves a woman still searching for her son who disappeared at Aliança de Mataró in 1974, and another seeking her daughter who vanished at birth at Vall d'Hebron in 1981. Stories of babies taken at Clínic de Barcelona in 1960 and at Nostra Senyora de Lourdes clinic in Gràcia in 1964 are also presented, along with the latest recorded case at Vall d'Hebron in 1987.
The forced disappearance of minors gained particular prominence in Spain from 1938, during the Franco regime, as a method of systematic repression. Republican women were separated from their children under three years old, who were often handed over to regime-aligned families, with the collaboration of the Catholic hierarchy. From the 1950s, the practice continued, affecting low-income women, single mothers, or victims of violence, under the pretext of 'stillborn children' who were in reality abducted through a network of irregular adoptions.
Despite the dictator's death in 1975 and the approval of the 1978 Constitution, these disappearances persisted until the 1990s. In the 21st century, affected families organized to demand justice. In Catalonia, Law 16/2020 for the forced disappearance of minors was approved, envisioning the creation of a DNA database and an assistance office. However, the law remains unimplemented due to a lack of budget, a situation acknowledged by a Justice counselor last summer, who admitted to five years of inaction.

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