Marina Freixa always sensed a hidden darkness in her family's past. Her mother grew up during Spain's lengthy dictatorship, which ended in 1975, but the specifics of her childhood remained vague. However, one Christmas about a decade ago, when Marina was around 20, everything changed. As they gathered around the table that winter evening, cigarette smoke lingering in the air and wine glasses empty, Marinaâs mother, Mariona Roca Tort, began to unveil her past.
Years ago, Mariona (pictured left) disclosed the truth about her teenage years to Marina and her cousins. She revealed, âMy parents reported me to the authorities. They put me in a reformatory when I was 17.â Reformatories were facilities for girls and young women who defied the Franco regimeâs Catholic principles, including single mothers, girls with boyfriends, and lesbians. Victims of sexual assault were blamed and incarcerated, while orphans and abandoned girls often ended up behind convent walls.
Marina and her cousins were shocked, unable to fathom that their grandparents had arranged for their own daughterâs confinement. Marionaâs recollections of sharing her story with her family are blurred, a result of the psychiatric 'treatment' she underwent at the reformatory. Nonetheless, Marina held onto these revelations and later created a documentary recounting her motherâs experience.
Mariona survived the Patronato de ProtecciĂłn a la Mujerâthe Womenâs Protection Boardâoverseer of a nationwide network of residential institutions under dictator Francisco Franco, often run by religious organizations. There is no concrete data on the number of affected girls. Although Spain has made significant strides in womenâs rights since Francoâs death, Patronato survivors continue to seek answers and now demand an inquiry.
As a teenager, Mariona faced people challenging the Spanish dictatorship. The oldest of nine siblings, she describes her parents as ultra-conservative and devoutly Catholic. They even forbade Mariona from wearing trousers. But in 1968, as she turned 16, a new world emerged. While tutoring during the day and preparing for university at night, she encountered trade unionists, left-wingers, and anti-Franco activists. Global protests against authoritarianism and the Vietnam War, coupled with calls for civil rights, fueled a rebellious spirit. After participating in a protest, Mariona found herself in trouble with her parents who subsequently tightened their grip.
As summer ended, Mariona decided to leave her restrictive home environment, heading to Menorca with college friends, leaving only a note for her parents, who promptly reported her departure.