Mexican woman claims she was stolen from Spain as infant during Francisco Franco's dictatorship

A woman has filed a complaint with the Mexican prosecutors, claiming that she was taken away from her birth parents in Spain when she was a baby.

Ligia Ceballos Franco filed the complaint with the help of Amnesty International on Thursday (16 January) and wants the prosecutors to conduct a full investigation under a law that allows probe against forced disappearances, which covers hiding or refuting someone's identity.

In her complaint, Franco said that she was stolen from Spain as an infant during Francisco Franco Bahamonde's dictatorship, claiming that she may be one among an estimated 30, 000 babies taken away between 1938 and 1975.

According to reports, Franco believed that she was born as Maria Diana Ortiz Ramirez in Spain after she found a local government document in Madrid stating a baby had been handed over to her Mexican parents in 1968.

The 48-year-old also said that she believed her biological parents were told she had died at time of birth and accused the Catholic Archdiocese of Merida of assisting with the adoption process.

It was believed that those who were against the rule of Francisco – the former prime minister of Spain – were targeted for such identity thefts.

"In our opinion, this case shows all the characteristics of forced disappearance, an international crime. In Ligia's case, there are also other elements which the United Nations has identified as relating to the forced disappearance of minors, such as the child's registration under a false name, false documents from her birth," Esteban Beltran, director at Amnesty International Spain, said.

Beltran added that Amnesty has also urged the Spanish authorities to cooperate with the requests of Mexicans.