Nada Itrabac, now 22, has published a book recounting her harrowing kidnapping from L'Hospitalet de Llobregat at age nine and her subsequent neglect by social services. She now leads an association in the La Florida neighbourhood, helping immigrant families navigate precarity and legalisation processes.
Itrabac, whose Arabic name is Rocío, co-authored "Yo soy Nada" (I am Nada) with journalist Neus Sala. The book details her seven months of captivity in the Bolivian jungle. There, she worked in coca plantations and street markets, enslaved by a religious fanatic named Grover Morales. Morales had gained her parents' trust in L'Hospitalet by offering help with basic needs.
Upon her rescue, then-Captain José Miguel Hidalgo, now a Commander with the Civil Guard's Central Operative Unit (UCO), found nine-year-old Nada clinging to a small purse, a digital camera, and a notebook. "She had notes in Spanish, English, and Catalan, also drawings," Hidalgo explained. "I asked her, 'Why do you carry this?' And she said, 'I do not want to miss the school term.' That was her concern."
The Kidnapping and Investigation
Nada arrived in L'Hospitalet from Tetouan, Morocco, at age four. Her family, like many others she now assists, faced extreme poverty and abuse. She found solace in school, a constant even during her captivity. Her mother reported Nada missing to the Catalan Police (Mossos d'Esquadra) in August 2013.
Enric Martínez, then head of the Catalan Police's Kidnapping Unit, initially noted the case was not a kidnapping because no ransom demand occurred. "It was an illegal detention of a Moroccan minor without Spanish citizenship, held in Bolivia," Martínez stated. "Regarding universal justice, we were not competent and should have only alerted authorities in both countries." However, Nada's mother claimed the girl went on holiday with a neighbour and did not return. Social Services had also reported her absence from a summer camp, raising suspicions.
Cross-Border Rescue Efforts
The Catalan Police started an investigation, soon joined by the UCO. Months of wiretaps on Nada's parents and Morales's family, who had entered Spain under a false identity, followed. Investigators faced a bureaucratic maze to travel to Bolivia. Prosecutor Laia Ladrón and her Bolivian counterpart, Noemí Cossío, were deeply involved. A crucial intercepted call led to the rescue.
A coca union leader, Ángel León, played a critical role in the rescue. He mobilised his men to free Nada and detain Morales in a remote jungle area until agents arrived. The police paid León 500 kilograms of sugar as gratitude for his help. Commander Hidalgo noted León "demanded nothing in return." The Catalan Police could not travel to South America. Political leaders at the time, during the height of the Catalan independence process, cited a lack of funds and jurisdictional clarity. The UCO made two trips to Bolivia, with Hidalgo and his partner Juan Carlos Fandiño on the first.
Post-Rescue Neglect and Resilience
After her rescue, Nada faced further challenges. She spent three years in two youth centres. However, authorities then sent her back to a flat in L'Hospitalet. This home still lacked electricity and running water, and domestic violence intensified. Her malnutrition caused her to faint in class. Teachers tried to help, but Nada never disclosed her situation, fearing others would know she was the kidnapped girl. She also lacked proper documentation, a "negligence" given her status as a trafficking victim. Without a Foreigner's Identity Number (NIE), she could not work, trapping her in a cycle of precarity.
Journalist Neus Sala, Nada's co-author, became a key figure in her recovery. Sala initially contacted Nada to tell her story but then provided extensive support. She helped regularise Nada's legal status through Police Commissioner Jose Jacinto Pérez. Sala also arranged psychological assistance and found Nada a new home at La Ciba women's centre in Santa Coloma. Lawyer Fátima Ainin paid for Nada's first year of law school, which she continues to study.
Advocacy and Future Work
Nada criticises the Directorate for Child and Adolescent Care (Dgaia) of the Generalitat for its lack of support after her liberation. "How is it possible that, if we do the most difficult thing, which is to rescue her from the jungle, she runs those risks in L'Hospitalet, and is helpless four streets from our home?" Sala questioned. Nada herself recalls minimal follow-up from Dgaia, feeling "left alone in a situation I did not feel capable of overcoming."
Nada decided to convert to Islam, finding meaning in her pain and a purpose to help others. She now uses her voice to highlight child exploitation and forced marriage, issues she stresses occur not just far away but "among our own neighbours." She co-founded the Horizontes association in La Florida with her colleague Laia. The association helps immigrants with legalisation procedures and works to secure social housing for vulnerable families, including her own, who recently obtained a new home. She continues to advocate for those without media attention, despite the personal toll of revisiting her past.
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Originally published by ABC Cataluña. Read original article.
