According to Article 4 of the Decree of November 6, 1941, the Board's purpose was the "moral dignification of women, especially young women, to prevent their exploitation, steer them away from vice, and educate them according to the teachings of the
Catholic Church." Many girls and young women who were just considered wayward, disobedient, or promiscuous, as well as unmarried
pregnant teenagers, were locked up without having actually committed any crime, even according to Francoist law. Some of these girls were dropped off by parents who just no longer wanted to care for them. Others were put into state custody because they were denounced by family members. For instance, a Marian Torralbo was denounced by her brother—a member of
Acción Católica—for partying. All were incarcerated without a trial. Women could not leave in many cases until they were 25 years old, their legal adult maturity age under Francoist law. The
Patronato enforced two types of moral control: a "hidden" one targeting individual "immoral" activities of women, such as prostitution or homosexuality, and an "ostensible" one surveilling public spaces for any sign of nonconformity. The year 1952 marked a significant increase in the number of young women interned, driven by legal reforms affecting young women's status and the Francoist state's response to cultural changes threatening traditional gender roles. Its expansion, with over 900 Catholic-run centers, reflected the regime's struggle against modernization and its insistence on traditional ideals. The institution's immense power is evident in the rising numbers of girls and women interned, reaching over 41,000 by 1965, or about 1.7% of all females aged 15–24. were lost in a "flood" at the
Ministry of Labor, where they were stored. The contents of these boxes had never been studied or inventoried. ==See also==