Bringing the stories of “madres protectoras” to the stage

In 2019, four mothers were arrested for kidnapping their children. They were part of the organisation “Infancia Libre” (Free Childhood) and claimed that all they had done was protect their children, who reported being sexually abused by their fathers.

Nine months later, the prosecutor’s office closed the case. Many cases that follow a common pattern: children who report experiencing sexual violence at the hands of their fathers, and the mothers deploy strategies to protect them.

These strategies end up causing problems for the mothers, who are not believed and end up losing custody of their children. Inspired by these stories, actress and activist Pamela Palenciano put up a theatre play “Arrancamiento.”

‪@elsaltotv‬ is a Sphera Network member and this story is part of our “Parenthood” series.

Partners

Share on

Discover more

June 17, 2026

Redefining power: Inside the world of BDSM

June 15, 2026

When people have the power: the story of the movement Regularización Ya

June 4, 2026

Soria: the white elephant in the middle of nowhere

Stay tuned!
Subscribe to
our newsletter