The investigation into stolen children runs up against the confidentiality of files and a law that is a dead letter.

GironaThe investigation of cases of babies stolen from their mothers to be offered for adoption in exchange for money, such as those that took place in the La Alianza Clinic in Girona between the 1960s and 1970s, clashes with the caution of the archives, which must preserve the identity of personal data, but also with Law 16/2020 on the forced disappearance of minors in Catalonia, which has not yet been budgeted or implemented. The regulatory framework provides for a Victim's Office that should help clarify the truth, identify the biological parents and siblings of the abducted children, and provide legitimate reparation to the victims. Everything has been on hold for the past five years.

The prestigious archivist and historian Joan Boadas i Raset, who directed the Municipal Archive of Girona between 1990 and 2022, is well aware of the difficulties faced by relatives searching for stolen children because he participated in the search for Josep Comas's brother, who disappeared at the L'A Clinic. "Sometimes, the absence of documents is also very significant," says Boadas. The archivist certified that there is no record of any death on the day of the baby's alleged death, nor four months before or after. "If the baby was born, it should be recorded. The baby had to be buried. This lack of documentation served as the basis for the family's suspicion that the child was stolen," he added. For Boadas, the case of the stolen children is "complex, fascinating, and brutal," especially because "it is shocking that in the 1970s, children could still be stolen from clinics." The archivist believes that "we must also focus on the organized plot of those responsible for the disappearances: doctors, nurses, nuns, midwives." "They were getting a lot of money. Back then, you could buy a car or even an apartment," warns the archivist. Everything suggests that the babies didn't go far, and that if birth certificates close to the dates and places of the kidnappings could be reviewed, the circle would tighten as to where the children ended up. From the kidnapped person's perspective: "Discovering the truth can be an emotional or perhaps financial disaster. The invasion of privacy can be traumatic," he warns. For this prestigious archivist, a ruling from the National Commission for Access, Evaluation, and Documentary Selection (CNAATD) would be required on access to documents that are already 50 years old (25 in the case of death). "Archive professionals must have a coordinate. Another way is to look for indirect evidence, either in parish bulletins, newspapers, or through birth certificates. It's impossible for a child not to be baptized." What is evident to the archivist is that "much greater involvement from the administrations is needed to help people searching for their missing children or siblings."

Together urges the implementation of the law

Girona MP Carme Renedo, who has firsthand knowledge of the case of one of these missing minors, signed a resolution proposal on the Parliamentary table through the Junts group urging the government to implement the law on the enforced disappearance of minors in Catalonia within six months, and to open and staff the Victims' Office. It remains to be seen whether the proposal will be successful. She also demands that all information requests received since the law's passage be reviewed, and that families interested in continuing the investigation and search for their missing relatives be advised. Renedo admits that protecting the personal data of missing persons is one of the challenges. "You might not want to be found," she warns.