Majorca Abuse Case at Nazareth Foundation Reexamined

In Majorca, a chilling chapter unfolds from the eighties at a shelter for minors tied to the Catholic Diocese, located on Joan Miró street in Palma. An individual identified by reports as FCMF is accused of sexually abusing numerous children over a long period. At about the time when this person was around sixty-five years old, authorities say he moved on to create another center, a home reception facility in Son Sardina, where allegations of abuse continued to surface. The victims did not disclose what happened until a video, recorded last October by a survivor named Toni Estela, brought the case back into public view. The community now faces the painful reality that many victims may have kept silent for years, even while the harm endured by multiple families was ongoing. This account has prompted calls for accountability and apology from those who facilitated or overlooked the abuse. nnIn the wake of the video, additional survivors came forward, sharing that they too had been harmed during their time at Nazareth. Anonymity was requested by several, yet they confirmed that the core details echoed by Toni Estela were true and that a substantial number of children were affected. One survivor recalled a shared knowledge among peers, noting that the abuse had been a quiet, known shame within the circle.nnFor more than a decade, the center operated under the auspices of the Nazareth complex managed by the Diocese of Mallorca. The period saw hundreds of children in residence, all housed together in a setting that housed youngsters between six and fifteen years of age. The children attended school, following a standard curriculum until the eighth grade, after which they moved on to other stages of education.nnThe personal testimonies reveal a pattern of predatory behavior. One survivor described entering Nazareth as a child because his family could not care for him, and later recounted how a staff member, then in his mid-twenties, began taking a small group of youths on weekend trips. The abuser reportedly traveled with them in a van and, on different occasions, used trips to the coast or nearby hills as backdrops for his inappropriate actions. The survivor recalled that the mistreatment started with isolated incidents and then escalated to more frequent abuse, occurring roughly every couple of weeks during the years he remained there.nnThe abuse extended beyond private acts; some monitors slept on site throughout the week and would enter bedrooms at dawn to abuse several children. The victims, aware that others were harmed as well, did not speak out, and many carried the burden silently for years, suffering significant psychological repercussions. Some survivors recall attempting to bury the memories, telling themselves it never happened, yet later finding the courage to confront their trauma with professional help.nnAs time passed, the sheer number of potential victims became difficult to quantify, but survivors widely held that dozens could be counted, with estimates suggesting a total in the vicinity of seventy. The memory of these acts lingered long after the fact, as a survivor described how the process of disclosure only began within the last decade or so, when professional support and police processes enabled a clearer retelling of events. nnYears later, Toni Estela remained the principal public voice condemning the abuses. He appeared before the National Police in the mid-2010s and later reiterated his account in a Palma court. His testimony aligned with the broader narrative: a child who joined Nazareth as a teenager endured repeated assaults by a staff member, often in a setting where other youths were present, yet the abuse happened under the veil of routine and seeming normalcy.nnReports indicate that the abuse at Nazareth did not end with that center alone. A new facility in Son Sardina, known as Ca Meva, emerged in the 1990s and served as a reception center for minors associated with the same network. The allegations of sustained abuse at this new location suggest a continuing pattern that spanned years and left a lasting impact on many lives.nnSources and survivors emphasize the long arc of silence, the difficulty of recognizing harm when it occurs within trusted institutions, and the ongoing effort to document the scope of abuse. The narrative, now more widely acknowledged, underscores the need for thorough investigations, accountability for those responsible, and sustained support for victims who continue to carry the emotional and psychological consequences of these experiences. This synthesis of survivor accounts is presented with attribution to investigative reporting and official statements from relevant authorities. (Citation: Mallorca regional news archives)