Episode

The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
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1:00:26
Published: Sun Nov 06 2022
Description

The phenomenon of babies stolen from hospitals in Spain, once shrouded in secrecy, is now being spoken about.The thefts happened during the end of the regime of Francisco Franco, the right-wing dictator who ruled the country until 1975, and even today the disappearances remain a subject of mystery and debate among scholars.According to the birth mothers, nuns who worked in maternity wards took the infants shortly after they were delivered and told the women, who were often unwed or poor, that their children were stillborn. But the babies were not dead: They had been sold, discreetly, to well-off Catholic parents, many of whom could not have families of their own. Under piles of forged papers, the adoptive families buried the secret of the crime they committed. The children who were taken were known in Spain simply as the “stolen babies.” No one knows exactly how many were kidnapped, but estimates suggest tens of thousands.Nicholas Casey relates Ana Belén Pintado’s discovery, after the deaths of her parents, that she was a “stolen baby,” and considers the web of culpability and the tricky question of blame, as Spain reckons with its past.This story was written by Nicholas Casey and recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. 

Chapters
In this episode, the host discusses with guest, Katrin Bennhold, her story in the New York Times Magazine about the widespread and systematic kidnapping of babies in Spain during the Franco regime, and the ongoing search for the truth by affected families.
00:00 - 03:57 (03:57)
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Spain
Summary

In this episode, the host discusses with guest, Katrin Bennhold, her story in the New York Times Magazine about the widespread and systematic kidnapping of babies in Spain during the Franco regime, and the ongoing search for the truth by affected families.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
During Franco's regime, nuns who worked in maternity wards took infants from women that were often unwed or poor, claiming their children were stillborn.
03:57 - 11:21 (07:24)
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Spain
Summary

During Franco's regime, nuns who worked in maternity wards took infants from women that were often unwed or poor, claiming their children were stillborn. These same nuns also targeted newborns belonging to women who were jailed as political prisoners.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
Pintado continues her search for her past, hoping that other people would finally be willing to share what they knew about her adoption now that both of her parents were gone, amidst Argentina's search for the disappeared and orphaned children from the dictatorship that ruled from 1976 to 1983.
11:21 - 20:44 (09:22)
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Argentina
Summary

Pintado continues her search for her past, hoping that other people would finally be willing to share what they knew about her adoption now that both of her parents were gone, amidst Argentina's search for the disappeared and orphaned children from the dictatorship that ruled from 1976 to 1983.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
A doctor named Eduardo Vela faces accusations of selling babies in Spain, leading a new generation of victims to seek out their biological parents.
20:44 - 29:02 (08:17)
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Stolen Children of Spain
Summary

A doctor named Eduardo Vela faces accusations of selling babies in Spain, leading a new generation of victims to seek out their biological parents.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
A story on the decades-long struggle of the Spaniards to discover the whereabouts of the loved ones who were snatched from them by hospitals and religious institutions under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.
29:02 - 34:13 (05:10)
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Francoism
Summary

A story on the decades-long struggle of the Spaniards to discover the whereabouts of the loved ones who were snatched from them by hospitals and religious institutions under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
A mother of Spanish stolen babies shares her story of being led to believe that her newborn twins had passed, only to find out they were stolen and sold for adoption without her consent.
34:13 - 39:00 (04:47)
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Stolen Babies
Summary

A mother of Spanish stolen babies shares her story of being led to believe that her newborn twins had passed, only to find out they were stolen and sold for adoption without her consent.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
A look at the ongoing controversy surrounding baby theft in Spain, where numerous children were stolen from their biological mothers at birth and placed with adoptive families without the mothers’ knowledge or consent, including the story of a middle-aged father’s quest to find the birth mother of his adopted daughter.
39:00 - 46:43 (07:42)
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Spain
Summary

A look at the ongoing controversy surrounding baby theft in Spain, where numerous children were stolen from their biological mothers at birth and placed with adoptive families without the mothers’ knowledge or consent, including the story of a middle-aged father’s quest to find the birth mother of his adopted daughter.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
In this episode, a woman named Adriana Pintado shares her journey of being stolen as a baby, and how she found her biological mother years later with the help of a phone call and a DNA test.
46:43 - 52:25 (05:42)
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Stolen baby
Summary

In this episode, a woman named Adriana Pintado shares her journey of being stolen as a baby, and how she found her biological mother years later with the help of a phone call and a DNA test.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
After a journey of searching, letter writing, and uncomfortable conversations, the narrator gains two parents while reflecting on the loss of her raised parents and the inevitability of eventually losing them.
52:25 - 58:54 (06:29)
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Identity
Summary

After a journey of searching, letter writing, and uncomfortable conversations, the narrator gains two parents while reflecting on the loss of her raised parents and the inevitability of eventually losing them.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily
Pintado's birthday is coming up, and she is set to travel and spend time with family.
58:54 - 1:00:24 (01:29)
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Stolen baby
Summary

Pintado's birthday is coming up, and she is set to travel and spend time with family. Amidst the search for her mother and the stolen baby, Pintado and Monreal plan a surprise for her special day.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘Taken Under Fascism, Spain’s “Stolen Babies” Are Learning the Truth’
Podcast
The Daily