Barcelona, early 20th century. In the dark alleys of the city, there is a woman whose crimes have passed into history as one of the cruelest in Spain. Enriqueta Martí and Ripollés, known by the local community "Baby Jaga from Barcelona", avoided justice for years thanks to her ties to the social elite.
Kidnapping, prostitution, murder
Around 1910, Martí began kidnapping children from the poor neighborhoods of Barcelona. Some of them forced prostitution, service to wealthy clients. Others murdered and from their remains created potions and ointments that she sold as "healing drugs" for a wealthy clientele.
Her modus operandi was simple: she was looking for children from poor families that no one was looking too eagerly. She kept them in cages in her apartment, tortured and exploited them. The police could not catch the perpetrator for a long time – according to historians, she was protected by her influential customers who used her "services".
Finding the Truth
The case led to Martí's arrest. When the police entered her house, they found a frightening sight: lost children, human remains, torture tools and jars of "mixes". However, the case was covered up – many of its customers belonged to the Barcelona elite, which prevented a full explanation of all the circumstances.
Martí never went to trial. According to historical sourcesShe was murdered in prison by other prisoners before the trial was carried out. Her crimes remain one of the darkest cards in Barcelona's history.
Why is this story so little known?
The Enrique Martí case was deliberately covered up by authorities and the media. The ties to influential personalities made history quickly disappear from newspaper headlines. It was only in recent years that historians began rediscovering this gruesome crime.
This is an example of how power and money can protect even the cruelest criminals. Baba Jaga of Barcelona is a warning that not all monsters live in fairy tales.
