[1][2]: 76 Notorious for its human rights violations, baby abductions, and brutality, the Board targeted girls and young women, confining them in reformatories as part of the broader Francoist repression.
[3][4][5][6] During the Francoist period, this institution had closed internment centers, generally run by Catholic religious orders, which could confine girls and young women deemed 'fallen or at risk of falling', even without having committed any crime.
[1] The Board was re-established after the Francoist victory in the Spanish Civil War on November 6, 1941, and wasn't finally dissolved until 1985, with its responsibilities for women's protection transferred to the autonomous communities.
[12] Writer Consuelo García del Cid Guerra brought to light the history of abuses, tortures, baby theft, and human rights violations committed by the Board[3] with her book Las desterradas hijas de Eva (2012).
Contrary to its purported mission of protecting them, the Patronato was primarily tasked with strictly enforcing the National Catholic repressive values using coercive and brutal methods.
[6] The Patronato enforced two types of moral control: a "hidden" one targeting individual "immoral" activities of women, such as prostitution or homosexuality, and an "ostensible" one surveilling public spaces for any sign of nonconformity.
Current efforts in academia and activism aim to recognize these women's experiences, often overlooked in historical accounts, advocating for their recognition as victims of Francoist persecution.