Lisboa. – The denunciations of Portuguese animal lovers has prevented the child Michelito Lagravère, just eleven years of age, from fighting in the ‘Campo Pequeno’ square in Lisbon. The participation of the minor in this becerrada (a fight with an animal of one or two years old and weighing approximately 250 kg) and other bullfights had been eagerly anticipated by bullfight fans.
However a complaint was presented by affiliations for the defense of animal well-being before the authority responsible for enforcing labor legislation and the office of protection for the children of Lisbon. The services for protection of minors considered that the child was being placed in serious danger, which was considerd contrary to regulations on conditions of work and protection of minors, especially those taking part in spectacles. The denunciation emphasized that article 32 of the Convention of the United Nations on the Rights of the Child, of which Portugal is a signatory, disallows minors from taking part in bullfights. The services of protection of minors notified the promoters of the spectacle that the participation of Lagravère was not authorized. During the last year also two bullfights were prohibited in France in Fontvielle and Arlès in which children were planned to take part, after the formal protests interposed by animal lovers before the authorities.
Post a comment
You must login for comment.