A former ward of DGAIA warns that there are more cases like the 12-year-old girl who was raped.

The Directorate General for Child and Adolescent Care (DGAIA) remains at the center of controversy. Although between 2018 and 2020 the contribution to DGAIA was generously increased, for years it failed in its function of protecting minors. The case that has precipitated everything is that of a 12-year-old girl under guardianship who fell victim to a pedophilia network.

Those who have exposed the irregularities in DGAIA have been warning for some time that this was just the tip of the iceberg. Another former ward confirms that the case of the raped minor was not the only one and there are more. In fact, she speaks of a "normalization" of this type of case in the centers.

The failure of the system to protect vulnerable minors coincides with the systemic corruption of the organization when it was under ERC's control. For years, third-sector entities close to Esquerra were favored with irregular contract awards and the creation of phantom positions. PSC, ERC, and Comuns have promoted an investigation commission to try to cover up the case.

Gifts in exchange for sexual favors

A witness has stated on TV3 that relationships between minors under DGAIA's guardianship and much older men, up to 55 years old, were almost normal in the centers. This is Judit, a young woman who spent her adolescence in a Generalitat guardianship center. She claims it was common to see adult men approaching.

According to her, these men took advantage of the minors' vulnerability to establish connections on the street or through social media. It was common for them to go to the center to pick them up by car and invite them for a drink.

These young women felt abandoned and suddenly saw that someone was offering them affection or simply something material. Sometimes a pack of cigarettes, some sneakers, or a new phone was enough, says this witness. Judit claims to have seen girls who received gifts and when they returned, they cried at night.

These men offered gifts in exchange for sexual favors, and in some cases, these were sustained relationships over time. All this happened in centers where the Generalitat was supposed to have the duty to protect the minors.

Failure in protection and support

The case of the pedophilia network that victimized a young girl under DGAIA's guardianship has shocked public opinion. This girl was targeted by an older man who systematically subjected her to rape by several men. Later, DGAIA itself authorized the minor to flee with a man ten years older.

According to Judit, "she is not the only girl this has happened to" and "it is something that is sometimes normalized in the centers." She claims to have seen several of those girls who received gifts in exchange for sexual favors.

The question many are now asking is where was the protection system for these minors. According to Judit, some girls explained it to the caregivers and protocols were activated. But other times they didn't feel brave enough and hid it.

One of the reasons is that the constant change of educators in the same center prevented the minors under guardianship from establishing bonds with them. This has resulted in a general failure of the protection and support system for vulnerable minors. The Govern has promised structural changes in an organization tainted by negligence and corruption.