Spanish victims of thalidomide meet Pope Francis

Only two dozen of the 3,000 Spaniards who suffered severe birth defects have received compensation

As they push forward in their struggle to obtain the kind of compensation given to other victims across Europe, Spanish victims of thalidomide have a powerful new ally: Pope Francis.

“We’re really happy,” said Alejandro Romero, one of the 100 or so Spanish victims who travelled to the Vatican on Wednesday to meet the pope. “He promised he would try to help. He’s the most important diplomat in the world, so maybe he can ring people that won’t speak to us on the phone.”

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