The Anticorruption Prosecutor has opened an investigation into suspected irregularities in the management of Generalitat aid for young people who have left state care in Catalonia. The inquiry followed the Oficina Antifrau de Catalunya’s warning of serious deficiencies in how companies responsible for monitoring the aid were overseen. Judicial sources say the investigation focuses on the economic aid line for extutelados, young people who have left care, and the possible existence of so-called “phantom placements” in youth accommodation. Antifrau is assisting in the process.
The Oficina Antifrau had already been examining complaints from a social educator about the handling of benefits by the former Dirección General de la Infancia y la Adolescencia (DGAIA). A joint venture between Fundación Mercè Fontanilles and Fundació Resilis managed these services. An audit by the Sindicatura de Cuentas estimated that DGAIA made €167.5 million in improper payments between 2016 and 2024, citing ineffective monitoring and control mechanisms.
The complaints coincided with a high-profile case involving a minor who became a victim of a paedophile network while under state protection. The incident prompted the Catalan government to restructure DGAIA, now known as the Dirección General de Prevención y Protección de la Infancia y la Adolescencia (DGPPIA), and take direct responsibility for monitoring economic aid to young people leaving care.
After its investigation, the Oficina Antifrau sent its findings to the Prosecutor’s Office. It found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the management of economic benefits, but recommended closer scrutiny of contract compliance after identifying oversight shortcomings. The office is also pursuing a separate investigation into “phantom placements” and reviewing documents related to contracts signed by DGAIA. In October 2026, Antifrau director Josep Tomàs Salàs said a second investigation into alleged loss of control at DGAIA was expected to conclude by year-end. The inquiry involved collaboration with the Mossos d’Esquadra.
Antifrau’s investigative records have also undergone a formal transparency review. In Resolution 37/2025, following an access request submitted on 7 August 2025, the office granted partial access to records concerning investigative proceedings while withholding details that could identify complainants or affected people. It also protected information about trade-union affiliation under Article 23 of Catalonia’s Law 19/2014, dated 29 December.
On 22 July 2026, the Catalan Parliament approved conclusions from its commission investigating DGAIA. The governing PSC, ERC and Comuns supported the conclusions, while opposition parties called for greater self-criticism and political accountability. The parliamentary process is a separate strand of scrutiny alongside the Antifrau and prosecutorial inquiries.
Separately, Operation AME in Tarragona illustrates another kind of suspected misuse of the child-protection structure. It should not be confused with the inquiry into aid and accommodation oversight. Information from Diari de Tarragona, the investigation began in November 2023 after reception-centre professionals identified cases in which children were presented as unaccompanied foreign minors despite their parents being in Spain and able to care for them. Police identified 124 potentially similar files in Tarragona province; 109 had been analysed, generating 28 police reports. The operation resulted in 30 arrests, and public guardianship ended for 22 young people after authorities determined their parents could care for them. The DGPPIA, formerly DGAIA, reportedly cooperated with the Policía Nacional.
In May, former consellera Mònica Martínez Bravo announced that her department would directly monitor economic aid for extutelados from 1 January 2027, ending the practice of outsourcing the service. Several organizations have filed complaints in Barcelona courts seeking further investigation into the detected irregularities. In April, a judge dismissed a criminal complaint against four former consellers, ruling that administrative deficiencies existed but finding no evidence of criminal conduct.
The case highlights continuing challenges in overseeing social aid in Catalonia and wider concerns about public funds and contracted social services. Inadequate monitoring and the risk of improper payments are concerns in other Spanish regions too, particularly where vulnerable groups depend on state support. Recent reporting on chronic homelessness in Barcelona, including this analysis of rising street homelessness, underlines the need for strong oversight and targeted aid for at-risk youth and adults. The Generalitat’s decision to bring monitoring in-house may signal a move toward greater accountability, but effective reforms will require sustained attention to transparency and control.
