For the first time, Spain has officially recognized a woman as a victim of Francoist repression after the end of the dictatorship. Eva García de la Torre from Seville spent her youth in a correctional facility for girls, where she was sent for her homosexuality, even though the country was already moving towards democracy.
In 1978, when Eva was just 16, she was accused of ‘immoral behavior’ after nuns found a letter in which she confessed her feelings for a woman. Without legal representation, she was convicted and sent to Catholic shelters in Galicia, where she spent seven years. There, teenagers suffered abuse, were forced to work and pray, and perform hard labor for meager wages. The institution Eva was sent to was established during Franco’s rule and continued operating even after his death.
Eva’s childhood was spent in shelters and religious institutions. Her mother, who was unmarried, also became a victim of abuse and lost custody of her daughter. Eva grew up under state supervision, doing hard work in workshops and the homes of wealthy families. After being denounced by nuns, her fate was sealed—she found herself in a system where the rights and freedoms of girls were routinely ignored.
It was only in 1985, when the government of Felipe González dissolved the Francoist board of trustees, that Eva was able to gain her freedom. She enrolled at university, earned a law degree, and became the mayor of O Porriño in Galicia. Despite her achievements, the consequences of what she endured haunted her throughout her life. In 2022, two months after stepping down, Eva died of a heart attack at the age of 59.
Recently, her widow, Silvia Fernández Quinteiro, obtained the country’s first official document recognizing that Eva was a victim of political and ideological persecution. This move set an important precedent for acknowledging the suffering of women who were punished for their private lives and beliefs, even after the fall of the dictatorship. The family emphasizes that public recognition is essential for restoring justice and preserving the memory of those who were broken by the system.
