Catalonia Removes Newborn from Abuse Victim Mother

S. B., a woman who fled a violent partner to protect her unborn child, faced a decision by Catalan authorities to remove custody shortly before birth. After suffering a severe beating in May, she sought safety through legal channels and protective housing.

Despite her efforts to secure a safe environment, the Dirección General de Atención a la Infancia y la Adolescencia (DGPPIA) intervened. They cited specific risk factors that led to the removal of the infant immediately following delivery.

In May, S. B. was three months pregnant when her partner subjected her to a violent physical assault. Following the incident, she fled the family home immediately. She took legal action by filing a formal report against her aggressor.

The legal system responded by granting her a order of alejamiento, or restraining order, to keep her partner away. To ensure her safety and the health of her pregnancy, she sought refuge in an emergency center. She later transitioned to a protected housing unit where she began a recovery process with psychological support.

Despite S. B.'s active steps toward recovery, the Dirección General de Atención a la Infancia y la Adolescencia (DGPPIA) opened an administrative file in July. The file was opened under the status of desamparo preventivo, or preventive abandonment, specifically regarding her future child.

The intervention escalated on October 30, just three weeks before her scheduled delivery. Social workers summoned S. B. to the agency's headquarters in Barcelona. During this meeting, she was informed that upon the birth of her baby, the child would be immediately removed from her care.

The authorities based their decision on several specific criteria they deemed to be factores de riesgo, or risk factors. The primary cited reason was the violence that S. B. had endured from her partner.

Additional factors included her current living arrangements. The fact that she resided in a protected housing unit and did not possess a casa propia, or her own home, were listed as negative indicators by the agency.

Following the birth of the child, the restrictions on S. B. have been strictly enforced. She is currently separated from her newborn infant.

The terms of the custody arrangement limit her contact significantly. She is permitted to visit her child for a duration of only one hour per week. These visits are conducted under the direct supervision of social services personnel.