‘I became like a slave’: why 43 women are suing the secretive Opus Dei Catholic group in Argentina

A prayer card portraying Josemaría Escrivá, the controversial Spanish priest who founded Opus Dei in 1928. Photograph: AP

The first item Opus Dei gave 12-year-old Andrea Martínez was a pink dress. The second was a schedule that detailed every task for every minute of her day. Then, when she was 16, she was given a cilice – a spiked metal chain to wear around her thigh – and a whip.

In the late 1980s, Opus Dei, a secretive and ultra-conservative Catholic organisation, promised Martínez an escape from a life of poverty in rural Argentina. By attending one of their schools, they said, she would receive an education and opportunities.