The Barcelona Departure That Changed Everything
On August 27, 2013, a bright nine-year-old girl named Nada Itrab boarded an overnight coach in Barcelona with her neighbor Grover Morales. Nada, the daughter of undocumented Moroccan immigrants living in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, believed this was a reward trip for her excellent schoolwork. Her parents had signed a notarized document allowing her to travel with Morales, who claimed to be returning to Bolivia to collect jewelry for his business.
A Journey Into Nightmare
What began as an adventure quickly turned into a nightmare. Upon arrival in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, Morales confiscated Nada's passport, claiming it was lost. The reality soon became clear: Nada had been kidnapped. Over the following nine months, she endured sexual abuse, forced labor on farms and coca plantations, and psychological manipulation as Morales transformed her into "Evelyn," his supposed niece.
Morales was no ordinary neighbor. Unbeknownst to Nada's family, he had fled Bolivia in 2005 using false documents to avoid trial for raping two half-sisters aged 11 and 14. In Bolivia, he subjected Nada to brutal conditions, forcing her to work with machetes in fields, washing clothes in creeks, and enduring regular beatings when he deemed her work insufficient.
The International Investigation
Back in Spain, Nada's parents reported her missing, sparking a complex international investigation. Lieutenant José Miguel Hidalgo of Spain's Civil Guard took charge of the case, discovering Morales' criminal history and navigating bureaucratic hurdles between Spain's right-wing government and Bolivia's left-wing administration under President Evo Morales.
Hidalgo's investigation revealed the grim reality: Nada had been taken deep into Bolivia's Carrasco National Park, a remote coca-growing region where police rarely ventured due to armed narcotics traffickers. The rescue operation required delicate negotiations with local coca growers, including purchasing 500 kilos of sugar as part of a deal to secure Nada's release.
The Dramatic Rainforest Rescue
On March 8, 2014, after months of investigation and failed attempts, Hidalgo finally reached Nada. Local farmers, following instructions from coca grower leader Angel León, captured Morales and secured Nada. Two military helicopters flew into the remote location, with Hidalgo jumping from one to find a ten-year-old girl wearing a bright blue headscarf, her skin blistered with mosquito bites and her Spanish accent now carrying a Bolivian lilt.
The rescue was executed with military precision—"in and out, without cutting the engines" as pilots had instructed. Nada was flown to safety, beginning a ten-day process of medical checks, police interviews, and preparation for her return to Spain.
Return and Reckoning
Nada returned to Barcelona on March 17, 2014, but her ordeal was far from over. Catalan authorities immediately removed her from her parents' custody, placing her in children's homes. Her parents received two-year suspended sentences for "abandoning" their child, while Morales was sentenced to 17 years for child trafficking and sexual abuse.
For years, Nada buried her trauma, excelling academically despite severe anxiety and depression. She contemplated suicide at 16, finding solace only in her studies and, later, in religion. Her remarkable academic achievements included winning a €500 prize for the best senior year essay in L'Hospitalet, though media reports curiously omitted her kidnapping history.
The Turning Point: Finding Her Voice
In late 2022, veteran Catalan journalist Neus Sala tracked down Nada after speaking with Hidalgo. Their meeting at Can Vidalet metro station marked a turning point. As Nada heard her own story fully for the first time, she realized the magnitude of what had happened to her. Rather than retreating, she decided to transform her suffering into advocacy.
"I don't want to just be the girl who got kidnapped," Nada declared. Inspired by activists like Malala Yousafzai and Nadia Murad, she committed to campaigning against child trafficking. With Sala's help, she secured legal residency in Spain, switched her university studies to law and international relations, and began preparing to sue the Catalan government for negligence.
The Campaign Against Child Trafficking
Nada's advocacy work has gained momentum through television appearances, where her calm eloquence contrasts starkly with the horrors she describes. She emphasizes forgiveness, explaining her pardon of Morales (who died in prison): "When you forgive, you don't do it because the other person deserves it. I do this because my heart deserves to live free of rancour."
Her story has resonated globally, with Nada receiving weekly emails from abused girls worldwide, including some from the Aeminpu cult where Morales had worshipped. She responds to each, offering sympathy and support despite her own demanding schedule of studies, writing a book with Sala, interning at a law firm, and preparing her legal case.
Ongoing Challenges and Future Goals
Nada's journey continues to present challenges. She has undergone intensive therapy to address dissociation from her trauma, describing the process as "like removing a mask." Despite exhaustion that has caused clumps of hair to fall out, she remains determined to pursue her goals: speaking at the United Nations about child trafficking, completing her law degree, and securing justice through her lawsuit against Catalan authorities.
Now living independently for the first time in a studio outside Barcelona, Nada reflects on her extraordinary resilience: "I consider myself strong. So, if I'm suffering, imagine what it's like for someone who doesn't have the things I now have." Her story stands as both a testament to human endurance and a powerful call to action against the global trafficking of children.
