What happened to Mariona Roca Tort under the Franco regime?

Mariona Roca Tort, the mother of Marina Freixa, was detained in a reformatory as a teenager for refusing to conform to the Franco regime's Catholic values.

How did Mariona's experience in the reformatory affect her?

Mariona endured forced psychiatric "treatments" like electric shock therapy and "insulin coma therapy" during her confinement, which left her with lasting memory loss.

What is the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer, and why are its survivors demanding justice?

The Patronato de Protección a la Mujer was a network of institutions that imprisoned nonconforming women under the Franco regime. Survivors like Mariona are now demanding an official inquiry into these institutions and recognition as victims of the dictatorship.

Home / Lifestyle / Survivors Demand Justice: Spain's Forgotten Victims of Dictatorship

Survivors Demand Justice: Spain's Forgotten Victims of Dictatorship

16 Nov

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Summary

Woman's mother, Mariona, was detained in a reformatory as a teenager for refusing to conform to Franco regime's values
Mariona suffered electric shock therapy and "insulin coma therapy" during her confinement
Survivors of the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer (Women's Protection Board) are now demanding an inquiry

Survivors Demand Justice: Spain's Forgotten Victims of Dictatorship

In 2025, Marina Freixa learned the shocking truth about her family's past. Her mother, Mariona Roca Tort, revealed that she had been detained in a reformatory as a teenager under Spain's decades-long dictatorship, which ended in 1975. Mariona's parents had reported her to the authorities for her nonconformist behavior, and she was sent to one of the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer (Women's Protection Board) institutions, where girls and young women deemed "in need of re-education" were confined.

Mariona endured a grueling routine of prayers, cleaning, and forced labor, as well as psychiatric "treatments" like electric shock therapy and "insulin coma therapy" that left her with lasting memory loss. After her release, Mariona vowed never to live with her parents again, and she went on to forge a career as a TV director, though her relationship with her family remained strained.