Spain’s controversial world of bullfighting has been dealt a new blow by Pedro Sanchez’s government.
The PSOE-led coalition is reported to be pursuing a ban on children attending bullfights, arguing that the exposure to such violence could be detrimental to their emotional and mental health.
The initiative is said to form part of a reform of the Organic Law on Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against Violence (LOPIVI).
It was announced by the Minister of Young People and Children, Sira Rego, before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva.
According to media outlet Libertad Digital, the government has not yet specified timelines or legislative details, but has confirmed that it is studying possible changes to the law to prevent minors from attending violent events.
It comes after several international bodies criticised Spain back in 2018 for allowing minors to participate in hunting and bullfighting.
Last year, the Spanish Eye revealed how children across Andalucia are being trained to kill bulls on the so-called Novilleros circuit.
One event in Cordoba, which this paper visited, saw half a dozen teenage matadors-in-training each slaughter a young bull in front of a baying crowd – which included toddlers and young children.
Icelandic UN committee member Bragi Gudbrandsson has argued that there is ‘irrefutable scientific evidence’ linking children’s exposure to such bloodsports with a normalisation of violence.
Meanwhile, Togolese representative Suzanne Aho expressed concern that, while strict controls are in place on audiovisual content aimed at minors, they are allowed to attend classes at bullfighting schools.
She also asked whether the government is considering any specific guidance for parents regarding the potential emotional consequences these spectacles could have on their children.
The message conveyed at the UN headquarters suggests a clear desire to gradually remove minors from the world of bullfighting.
Sanchez’s government would likely be met by a fierce pushback from right-wing forces, who see bullfighting as a fundamental part of Spanish culture and tradition.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
