A new documentary about the history of forced psychiatric treatment in Spain

Parallels to Modern “Treatment” and Troubled-Teen Industry

• Multiple commenters link US “troubled teen” programs and faith-based rehabs to the Spanish reformatories: abusive, under‑regulated, marketed as “tough love.”
• The Elan School comic and documentary are cited as vivid depictions of systemic child abuse packaged as therapy.
• Some reflect that vague slogans like “tough on crime” or “tough love” enable torture-like systems that outsiders emotionally endorse without seeing specifics.

Parenting, Neglect, and Surveillance Culture

• A prior HN thread about kids seeing porn and “neglect” is referenced; commenters worry such norms push parents toward extreme control measures to avoid criminal liability.
• Stories of CPS being called for kids briefly unsupervised highlight fears of a “tyranny of busybodies” empowered by smartphones.
• Others note regional variation: some US areas still have visible child independence, often linked to walkable environments.

Religion, Ideology, and Abuse

• One side argues Christian (and historically Catholic Francoist) institutions are central drivers of these abuses, including anti‑LGBTQ and misogynistic control.
• Others counter that religion is a tool exploited by insecure or authoritarian people, not the root cause; similar abuses could manifest under other ideologies.
• Meta‑discussion notes that blanket religious denunciations slide into hate and violate community norms.

Involuntary Commitment, Homelessness, and Care Systems

• Some claim dismantling mental hospitals in the US led to today’s homelessness crisis; others challenge this and demand evidence.
• A more nuanced view: US deinstitutionalization removed beds without building robust, funded outpatient and court‑ordered treatment systems, unlike many European countries.
• Critics warn that in current political conditions, expanded involuntary commitment risks becoming a weapon, echoing Francoist practices.

Franco, Violence, and Victim-Blaming

• A major thread disputes the BBC’s “free‑spirited girl” framing given her involvement with Molotov‑throwing protests. Some emphasize that’s serious violent crime; others stress context: a fascist dictatorship executing opponents.
• Many argue violent resistance against such a regime is morally understandable or even heroic; equating that with ordinary crime is seen as naive or sympathetic to fascism.
• Commenters condemn blaming the victim for her subsequent torture and forced psychiatric treatment, emphasizing she was a teenager and that the real agency lies with parents, Church, doctors, and state.

Spanish Civil War and Historical Context

• One commenter portrays Spain’s 20th‑century history as a brutal Fascism‑vs‑Communism struggle with atrocities on both sides, suggesting rebels weren’t simply “good democrats.”
• Others push back, restating that the war began with Franco’s coup against a democratic government; they view attempts to equalize both sides as apologetics for dictatorship.

HN Culture, Fascism, and Social Attitudes

• Some express shock at how many commenters prioritize “law and order” or property over resistance to fascism, reading this as latent authoritarianism among startup/tech‑capitalist culture.
• Discussion notes how fascism relies on misogyny and divide‑and‑conquer tactics, and sees victim‑blaming of rebellious young women as part of that pattern.

Medical Horror

• A final note reacts with horror to historical use of insulin to induce comas as psychiatric treatment, especially from diabetics for whom insulin overdose is a real fear.