Stolen newborns in Spain (niños robados)

After the Civil War, under Franco and even after the return to democracy, newborns in Spain were taken from their parents and given to other families; the mothers were told that the child had died. The UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances (2014) and the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament (2017) dealt with the matter. Before the Parliament's delegation, victims' lawyers and a journalist described the role of religious orders, nuns and priests; the Bishops' Conference spoke of individual perpetrators. The Parliament called on the Church to acknowledge its possible involvement, to apologise and to open the archives of parishes and religious orders.

Period

1939-1989 (50 years)

Report published

23 November 2017

Country

Spain

Institutions

Catholic Church in Spain
Religious orders
Spanish State

Category

Forced adoption

Level of evidence

A Primary source · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. All those with whom the European Parliament's delegation spoke acknowledged that newborns were stolen after the Civil War, under the Franco dictatorship and also under democracy. The Ministry of Justice named above all the 1960s to 1980s.
   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, General remarks, S. 24

   „MEPs welcomed the recognition and acceptance by all parties involved that the abduction of new-born babies was happening during the period following the Civil War, during the Franco dictatorship, and under democratic rule.“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with the Ministry of Justice, S. 3

   „a possible plot to traffic new-born babies illegally, primarily between the 1960s and 1980s.“

2. According to the reports to the UN Working Group, hundreds of babies were stolen from maternity wards and given up for adoption in exchange for money. The biological parents were told that their child had died shortly after birth; in other cases the babies were taken away under threat.
   Evidence: Vereinte Nationen, Menschenrechtsrat, Abs. 8, PDF-S. 5

   „According to the reports, hundreds of babies were stolen from hospital maternity wards and illegally offered for adoption in exchange for money.“

   Evidence: Vereinte Nationen, Menschenrechtsrat, Abs. 8, PDF-S. 5

   „In order to perpetrate these thefts, the biological parents were given to believe that their children had died shortly after birth. On other occasions the babies were simply snatched under threat and the adoptive parents were told that they had been abandoned.“

Why? Justification and motives (according to the sources)

1. The deputy ombudswoman named two causes to the delegation: the political purge after the Civil War and a moral purge intended to adapt families to the National Catholicism of the time, which did not tolerate unmarried mothers. Purely financial motives could not be ruled out either.
   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with the Deputy Ombudsman, S. 11

   „the political purge that sought to cleanse society and the moral purge that was intended to make families conform to the national Catholicism of the time, which did not allow single mothers. But according to Ms Ferrer, purely financial causes could not be discarded either.“

2. A journalist who had been researching the cases for six years told the delegation: in 1940 welfare institutions run by religious orders were made guardians of the children of prisoners, executed persons and exiles. Many children in the care of religious orders and priests had been stolen and renamed. Later, doctors, nuns, officials and priests had faked the deaths of babies and given the children to childless couples for large sums of money, sometimes for the price of a flat.
   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with doctors, experts and journalists, S. 16

   „In 1940, charitable institutions run by religious congregations were made the legal guardians of the children of prisoners and people who had been executed or exiled.“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with doctors, experts and journalists, S. 16

   „Many of the children who were under the protection of religious orders and priests were stolen and had their identities changed, and their mothers never found them.“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with doctors, experts and journalists, S. 16

   „when some doctors, nuns, officials and priests realised that nothing would happen if they faked the death of a baby because they were protected by the regime, the theft of babies began to become official practice, although it remained hidden.“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with doctors, experts and journalists, S. 16

   „In some cases, the figure was similar to the price of a flat.“

Who received the assets, who profited?

1. According to the reports to the UN Working Group, the babies were given up for adoption in exchange for money. A victims' lawyer told the delegation that the Catholic Church had been involved in the "mafia of selling babies", similar to the Magdalene sisters in Ireland; thousands of pesetas had changed hands. Letters to the Vatican had gone unanswered.
   Evidence: Vereinte Nationen, Menschenrechtsrat, Abs. 8, PDF-S. 5

   „illegally offered for adoption in exchange for money“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting with doctors, experts and journalists, S. 15

   „He said that the Catholic Church did have a part in the mafia of selling babies, similar to the Magdalene sisters in Ireland. He said thousands of pts changed hands but the Church doesn’t want this uncovered. They’ve sent lots of letter to the Vatican but never received replies.“

Response of the Church

1. The UN Working Group heard that access to records of the Catholic Church was difficult and called for the church registers of baptisms and deaths to be opened to those searching. In 2017 the Spanish Bishops' Conference told the delegation that the religious orders were completely independent and directly subordinate to the Vatican. It condemned the acts but denied that the Church as an institution had been involved, and spoke of individual perpetrators.
   Evidence: Vereinte Nationen, Menschenrechtsrat, Abs. 30, PDF-S. 9

   „The Working Group was also told that it was difficult to gain access to records belonging to the Catholic Church.“

   Evidence: Vereinte Nationen, Menschenrechtsrat, Abs. 30, PDF-S. 9

   „it is essential, in order to guarantee victims’ right to the truth, to open them up and facilitate access for those who are looking for disappeared persons or children believed to have been stolen.“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, S. 23

   „The religious congregations were another matter, as they were completely autonomous and reported directly to the Vatican.“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, S. 23

   „He rejected the idea that the Church as an institution acted in conspiracy“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Meeting of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, S. 24

   „The church responded that they don’t see an organised network, more acts undertaken by rogue individuals.“

2. The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament regretted that the Church had not yet opened its archives to the Ministry of Justice. It called on church bodies to acknowledge their possible involvement, to apologise to the victims and to make the archives of parishes and religious orders fully accessible. According to the committee, several findings pointed to the systematic nature of the acts.
   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, General remarks, S. 24

   „regretted that it had not already happened as a matter of urgency“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Empfehlung 23, S. 27

   „Stresses the need for the ecclesiastical authorities to recognise their potential involvement in the abduction of babies and illegal adoptions, apologise to the victims“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Empfehlung 23, S. 27

   „make the archives of parishes and religious congregations available to the victims, giving full access and ensuring maximum transparency“

   Evidence: Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss, Empfehlung 28, S. 27

   „Stresses that multiple findings point to the associative, systemic nature of the acts perpetrated in relation to the cases of stolen children“

See also

• 1922-1996 · 74 years

  Magdalen Laundries in Ireland (McAleese Report)

  • Ireland
  • Violence
  • Forced labour
• 1922-1998 · 76 years

  Homes for unmarried mothers and their children in Ireland (Mother and Baby Homes)

  • Ireland
  • Violence
  • Forced adoption

Original documents to read

1. Commission report
   Europäisches Parlament, Petitionsausschuss: Mission Report and Recommendations following the fact-finding visit to Spain from 22 to 23 May 2017 (PE608.138v05-00), 23 November 2017. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 13 Oct 2026)
2. Government report
   Vereinte Nationen, Menschenrechtsrat: Report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, Addendum: Mission to Spain (A/HRC/27/49/Add.1), 2 July 2014. Original (retrieved 13 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 22 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.