My question is, if you can't take out a life insurance policy on someone else without their consent, how did these five life insurance policies come to be?
Parents and Grandparents can take out life insurance policies on their minor children and grandchildren without the consent of the children.
They can take them out on their minor children, and their minor grandchildren, and as long as they keep them in force, as you become an adult, they still have them.
However, to take out a life insurance policy on a person who is an adult, not a minor, there would permission required of the person and the person may need to take a physical exam, and/or answer some health questions in order to apply for the life insurance policy.
Here's how you can learn more about life insurance for children and how it works.