Survivors of Franco-era 'Women's Protection' institutions form 'The Forgotten' association

• Survivors of the state-run 'Patronato de Protección a la Mujer' have formed a new association named 'Las Olvidadas' (The Forgotten) to demand justice and historical recognition.
• Active from 1941 to 1985, the institutions operated under the Franco regime in collaboration with the Catholic Church, systematically exploiting thousands of girls and women.
• The association seeks truth, justice, and state-backed reparations for the long-term physical and psychological suffering of survivors.

Systemic Abuse and Forced Labor

• Under the guise of 'protecting' women from moral decay, the regime detained adolescents for minor transgressions, such as perceived disobedience or non-conformist behavior.
• Inmates were subjected to forced labor under the mantra of 'ora et labora' (pray and work), receiving no pay or professional benefits, while being denied contact with the outside world.
• Institutions performed invasive gynecological examinations to classify girls, determining the severity of their confinement based on their sexual history.

Illegal Adoptions and Human Rights Violations

• The network facilitated the systemic theft and sale of babies—estimated between 50,000 and 300,000 cases—often taken from women via coercion, extortion, or deception following birth.
• These acts were supported by complicit nuns, doctors, and a corrupt bureaucracy that profited by placing children with privileged families.

Objectives for Memory and Reparation

• The association is set to launch officially on September 19 in Madrid, aiming to counter the current trend of historical denialism regarding the Franco regime.
• Members demand that the democratic state acknowledge the trauma of these women and provide financial and medical support to those still struggling with the lasting effects of their confinement.
• Survivors emphasize that while they are empowered to fight for their rights, they carry the memory of those who did not survive the trauma or who died by suicide within the walls of these institutions.