Long format - L'affaire des berceaux de Rouen

The Rouen orphanage, founded in 1941, took in abandoned infants during a time of war and extreme poverty. Long perceived as a protective institution, the nursery nevertheless concealed controversial practices. Between 1941 and 1970, numerous adoptions are believed to have taken place outside the legal framework: procedures were circumvented, identities erased, and births concealed. In a context where some mothers sought anonymity and families wanted to adopt quickly, exchanges of money are thought to have facilitated certain placements. Today, due to a lack of records, many still struggle to trace their origins. This is a case that teeters between social welfare and troubling abuses. A report by Lissa Dasylva