Infant falls to his death in Jumilla bullring

A DAY at the portable bullring in Jumilla, Murcia, ended in tragedy for one Ecuadorian family. Their 14-month-old son died after falling three meters. The child was on the lap of one of the parent’s lap who jumped up with the crowd when the bullfighter Antonio Puerta was gored in his thigh, causing the infant to fall, according to the security and town hall sources. Medical personnel from the emergency medical unit tried to resuscitate the child.

Meanwhile, in January this year, Radiotelevision Espanola (RTVE) pledged not to show bullfighting on its channels because the evening ‘corridas’ usually occur during peak viewing times for children.

This admission that the spectacle is too cruel or violent for children to watch has given hope to campaigners that a countrywide ban is within reach.

Supporters of bullfighting slammed RTVE’s decision. “It seems hypocritical because the same criterion is not applied to other content,” argued Inigo Fraile, head of the Union of Toreros. “There are many more violent scenes, not just to animals but to people, shown in movies and television series broadcast on public channels.”

Catalonia became the first region within mainland Spain to outlaw the ‘National Fiesta’ in July last year.

By Nicole Hallett
Photo credit: Mizrak