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The policy of compulsory leprosy isolation practiced in Brazil from the 1920s to the 1980s segregated not only those affected by the disease but also their children. Although the disease is not hereditary, the minors were isolated in one of the 36 preventive institutions especially coordinated by philanthropic entities. In those establishments, the trajectory of the inmates was marked by violence in its various aspects: physical, institutional, social and psychological. Leaving the institution was equally traumatic, given the lack of preparation for life outside the walls. The policy of segregation of the children of people with leprosy was also implemented in other countries, such as Portugal.