Barcelona's Horrors - Enriqueta Martí

Written by Ben Kesp

Display featuring Enriqueta Martí

Swollen population, disease, high mortality rate, unemployment and strife were all part and parcel of city life in early 1900 Barcelona. It was a dark period in the city’s history. Families crowded into cramped apartments, infectious diseases and brothels all added to the seediness of the place. Exporting of adult films and images to Europe and America made Barcelona the pornographic capital of Europe. The rich were rich and the poor lived in desperation. 

A woman soon become known on both sides of the divide accused of living a double life. A beggar by day and a lady of luxury by night, dressing in furs, hats and wigs. Everything was exposed in 1909 when she was arrested, accused of running a brothel that offered sexual services from children aged between 3 and 14 years of age. The wealthy knew of her and dared not speak. Missing children was a common occurrence in Barcelona, often sold and sent to South America. Sex trafficking, slaves and prostitution were all common practices and desperate families needed to live. 

On this occasion Enriqueta had not been tried and was released, however it soon became clear that Enriqueta was a practicing witch doctor. Her ingredients for remedies were vile, comprised of fat, bones and hair from infants and children to the age of 9 years. She turned the bones to powders, making potions and ointments to treat diseases such as tuberculosis. Her customers were the rich, and her services of offering slaves and prostitutes along with her products were in high demand. 

Enriqueta had been suspected of operating for over twenty years, kidnapping many children and occupying several flats around Barcelona, notably, Mezzanine No. 29, Ponent Street (now Joaquim Costa St) and a flat on Minerva Street. 

Enriqueta's Apartment

It is believed she kidnapped her last child on the 10th of February 1912, a girl named Teresita Guitart Congost. Searching took place for two weeks but the authorities were not aggressively looking, as cases’ of missing children were a common occurrence around the city. However it was Claudia Elias, a neighbour of Enriqueta that alerted a friend who informed the police after sighting the girl. On the 27th of February 1912, the police located Enriqueta and escorted her to her flat where two girls were found. The second girl was named Angelita who claims she saw Enriqueta kill a 5 year old boy on the kitchen table without her knowing. Enriqueta claimed that Angelia was her daughter from her estranged husband. Originally married, in 1895 to painter Joan Pujaló, Enriqueta and Joan separated more than five times and had no children. Her husband claimed his wife had multiple affairs with other men. 

On searching the flat and other known flats of Enriqueta, police found sacks of dirty clothes, bones and skulls of children aging from 3, 6 and 8 years old. Human remains, bones and skulls were found buried behind false walls, ceilings and in gardens. In addition authorities found remains of children in vessels and jars along with books of notes, recipes and potions. An interesting find was a collection of notes written in code and it was concluded to be a list of her wealthy customers which included very important and prominent figures of Barcelona. The list was protected and could not be allowed to leak to the public. The public were in outrage on hearing rumours that the wealthy had paid for sexual pleasures with children and bought remedies made of human remains for their ailments. 

Enriqueta was imprisoned however was never tried. She died over a year following her arrest after being attacked in prison on the 12th of May 1913. Authorities had not completed their investigation nor had fully understood all of her secrets. 

Her legend lives on in Barcelona however one could ask was she the victim of a public scapegoat used to hide the activities of Barcelona’s prominent members. Even with all of the evidence of bones, kidnapped children, books, notes etc she had still not been tried for her crimes. One can also question had there been any substantial evidence or was she but the tip of the iceberg, a larger ring involved in sex trafficking, child prostitution and serial killing involving many elite members of Barcelona’s establishment. 

Enriqueta Martí is certainly a colourful figure in the history of Barcelona. We can only try and imagine her life and what she may have done. While touring through the old city of Barcelona you can pass by some of the apartments that she once inhabited and perhaps where she conducted some of her horrendous acts. 

To truly understand more on this woman, read the book, El Cielo Bajo Los Pies (The Sky Underfoot), written by historian Elsa Plaza, who spent seven years studying her case. An interesting read for an extraordinary and complex woman – Baracelona’s Enriqueta Martí.