November 16, 2025
From Franco to Facebook fury
My mum was a 17-year-old free spirit – so she was locked up and put in a coma
Internet erupts: is this horror still happening today
TLDR: A filmmaker shares her mother’s story of being locked up as a teen under Franco’s regime, with survivors now demanding an inquiry. Comments split between “this still happens” parallels to U.S. teen programs, pushback about shutting institutions, and comic confusion over photos—proof this past is painfully present.
A daughter’s film reveals her mum was 17, rebellious, and locked in a Franco-era “reformatory,” drugged into a coma, and left with blurred memories — and the internet lost it. Commenters swung between outrage and uncomfortable déjà vu. One thread shouted “this isn’t history, it’s now”, dropping links to U.S. exposés on “troubled teen” programs. Another camp fired a contrarian shot: if you shut down institutions, what replaces them? Cue a storm over whether oversight beats confinement, and who gets to wield power over teens.
Then came the chaos: a random “mixed-race” tangent derailed a subthread, prompting confused replies and eye-rolls, while a photo scavenger hunt (“which pic are we even discussing?”) became a running gag. Despite the meme-y detours, the core stayed heavy — Spain marking 50 years since Franco’s death while survivors of the Patronato (the regime’s women’s “protection” network run through religious institutions) demand an inquiry and answers. The community’s hottest take? We don’t just reckon with the past — we repeat it in new packaging. Others pushed back, warning against romanticizing old mental hospitals and calling for modern, humane care. Drama, receipts, and a painful history collide in one huge comments brawl.
Key Points
- •Mariona Roca Tort was sent to a reformatory at age 17 by her parents for defying Franco-era Catholic norms.
- •Reformatories were part of the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer, managed by religious organisations across Spain.
- •Girls detained included single mothers, those with boyfriends, lesbians, and victims of sexual assault, with unclear total numbers.
- •Mariona believes psychiatric “treatment” during detention impaired her memory; her daughter later made a documentary about her story.
- •Survivors of the Patronato are seeking answers and calling for an inquiry as Spain marks 50 years since Franco’s death.