Bullring Sevilla, 2024..
https://www.diariodesevilla.es/toros/Grave-cornada-novillero-Marcos-Linares-Maestranza_0_1792921145.html

During the celebration of the thousands of popular bullfighting celebrations that exist throughout Spain, there continue to be deaths of people who can be seen live by minors, or serious injuries and deaths .

8. Questions for dialogue

We have learned that at the state level, legislation has not been implemented to comply with the prohibition of minors' access to bullfighting shows, since whether as school students, bullfighters or spectators, considering that they do not have powers over it and that only the Autonomous Communities can do so. However, they have issued regulations on these aspects: for example, the Bullfighting Regulation (Real Decreto 145/1996), of a state nature, set the age to participate in practical lessons with live bulls at 14 years of age (this could be modified by the State), the law that establishes the minimum age to work is 16 years old, as long as it does not pose a danger for their health and human formation, it is state, of its competence as well.

Furthermore, I want to remember that all Spanish Administrations are obliged to comply with article 39 of its Constitution (which provides that in Spain minors will see guaranteed the rights recognized by International Treaties) and cannot unprotect minors by stating that the protection of childhood and Adolescence is a competence of the Autonomous Communities because they can regulate public spectacles. By the way, the only Autonomous Community that had partially complied with the Committee's request by prohibiting access to minors to bullrings, repealed it, so the non-compliance is double, of all the Spanish Administrations.

What legislative and educational measures is SPAIN going to propose to avoid a new breach of the Convention?

9. Proposed Recommendations for Concluding Observations

European Link Coalition makes the following recommendations in order that State Parties meet their obligations pursuant to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and General Comment 26 ‘Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence, such as domestic violence or violence inflicted on animals’:

That State Parties ensure that children are not permitted to participate or attend bullfighting.

That Spain ensures that having failed to comply with the UN Convention definitive Concluding Observations, address internal policies which devolve responsibility, to ensure that the whole country is compliant. Otherwise a moral responsibility falls to the Committee to address any State Party which effectively ignores Concluding Observations & the UN Convention.
Recognition of empathic regard for fellow sentient beings as a natural human function & a commitment to reduce speciesism as an unnatural division.
UN General Comment 26 on the ' Rights of the Child with a Special Focus on the Environment and Climate Change' includes ' “Children must be protected from all forms of physical and psychological violence and from exposure to violence, such as domestic violence or violence inflicted on animals” This unifies with UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 'We envisage a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature...in which wildlife & other living species are protected'.
Embracing these issues with recognition of natural empathetic connections with sentient animals within Goal 15 ‘Life on Land’ of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.
That State Parties adopt the appropriate legislative or administrative humane measures to prevent children from being exposed to the violent killing of animals witnessed by children & violent government homeless animal management policies which encourage societal violence against animals.

That UNICEF, in compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child General Comment 26, seek to ensure protection of children from experiencing violent animal abuse by informing all UNICEF country offices & challenging respective governments to cease all violent animal abuse traditions & practices which can affect the children.

Recognition of empathic regard for fellow sentient beings as a natural human function & a commitment to reduce speciesism as an unnatural division.

Embracing these issues with recognition of natural empathetic connections with sentient animals within Goal 15 ‘Life on Land’ of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals.

*40 years of research has provided academic resilience to the 'link' between animal abuse & its associations in the human domain. This now informs many authorities including the FBI (USA) and College of Policing (UK). Children exposed to violent practices suffer sometimes life changing effects. Effects include empathy erosion & a normalisation of violence.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The State has the obligation to attend to the request of the United Nations, since has powers over it. To fulfil its obligations under the Convention, it is recommended that Spain raise the age of 18 to bullfighting professionally, participate and attend bullfighting shows and be a student of bullfighting schools.

It is recommended that the Committee address Spain in the IDENTICAL sense as it did for
Portugal, (CRC/C/PRT/CO/5-6, 2019) , adding what is in bold:

The Committee on the Rights of the Child recommends that the State Party, at the state level and the Autonomous Communities, set the minimum age for participation in and assisting at bullfighting and bull-running events, including in bullfighting schools, at 18 years, without exception, and raise awareness among State officials, the media and the general population about the negative effects on children, including as spectators, of the violence associated with bullfighting and bull-running.

Academic Study Papers

Ascione, F. R. (1993). Children who are cruel to animals: A review of research and implications for developmental psychopathology. Anthrozoos, 6(4), 226-247.
Ascione, F. R., Weber, C. V., Thompson, T. M., Heath, J., Maruyama, M., & Hayashi, K. (2007). Battered pets and domestic violence: Animal abuse reported by women experiencing intimate violence and by nonabused women. Violence Against Women, 13(4), 354-373.
Becker, K. D., Stuewig, J., Herrera, V. M., & McCloskey, L. A. (2004). A study of firesetting and animal cruelty in children: Family influences and adolescent outcomes. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(7), 905-912.
Buka, S. L., Stichick, T. L., Birdthistle, I., & Earls, F. J. (2001). Youth exposure to violence: prevalence, risks, and consequences. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71(3), 298. Daly, B., & Morton, L. L. (2008). Empathic correlates of witnessing the inhumane killing of an animal: An investigation of single and multiple exposures. Society & Animals, 16(3), 243-255.
DeGue, S., & DiLillo, D. (2009). Is animal cruelty a “red flag” for family violence? Investigating co-occurring violence toward children, partners, and pets. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 24(6), 1036-1056.
Dutton, D. G. (2000). Witnessing parental violence as a traumatic experience shaping the abusive personality. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 3(1), 59-67.
Farrell, A. D., Mehari, K. R., Kramer-Kuhn, A., & Goncy, E. A. (2014). The impact of victimization and witnessing violence on physical aggression among high-risk adolescents. Child Development, 85(4), 1694-1710.
Faver, C. A. (2009). School-based humane education as a strategy to prevent violence: Review and recommendations. Children and Youth Services Review, 32, 365-370.
Flynn, C. P. (1999). Animal abuse in childhood and later support for interpersonal violence in families. Society & Animals, 7(2), 161-172.
Flynn, C. P. (2011). Examining the links between animal abuse and human violence. Crime, Law and Social Change, 55(5), 453-468.
Gullone, E., & Robertson, N. (2008). The relationship between bullying and animal abuse behaviors in adolescents: the importance of witnessing animal abuse. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29, 371-379.
Henry, B. C. (2004). Exposure to animal abuse and group context: Two factors affecting participation in animal abuse. Anthrozoos, 17(4), 290-305.
Hensley, C., & Tallichet, S. E. (2005). Learning to be cruel?: Exploring the onset and frequency of animal cruelty. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 49(1), 37-47.
Holt, S., Buckley, H., & Whelan, S. (2008). The impact of exposure to domestic violence on children and young people: A review of the literature. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32(8), 797-810.
Kellert, S. R., & Felthous, A. R. (1985). Childhood cruelty toward animals among criminals and noncriminals. Human relations, 38(12), 1113-1129.
Ladny, R.T., Meyer, L. Traumatized Witnesses: Review of Childhood Exposure to Animal Cruelty. Journ Child Adol Trauma (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653- 019-00277-x Merz-Perez, L., Heide, K. M., & Silverman, I. J. (2001). Childhood cruelty to animals and subsequent violence against humans. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 45(5), 556-573.
Murrell, A. R. Merwin, R. M., Christoff, K. A., & Henning, K. R. (2005). When parents model violence: the relationship between witnessing weapon use as a child and later use as an adult. Behavior and Social Issues, 14, 128-133.
Nicoll, K., Trifone, C., & Samuels, W. E. (2008). An in-class, humane education program can improve young students’ attitudes toward animals. Society & Animals, 16, 45-60.
Plant, M., van Schaik, P., Gullone, E., & Flynn, C. (2016). “It’s a Dog’s Life”: Culture, Empathy, Gender, and Domestic Violence Predict Animal Abuse in Adolescents—Implications for Societal Health. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 0886260516659655.
Tardif-Williams, C. Y., & Bosacki, S. L. (2015). Evaluating the impact of a humane education summer-camp program on school-aged children’s relationships with companion animals. Anthrozoos, 28(4), 587-600. doi:10.1080/08927936.2015.1070001
Thompson, K. L., & Gullone, E. (2006). An investigation into the association between the witnessing of animal abuse and adolescents’ behavior toward animals. Society & Animals, 14(3), 221-243.
Wright, J., & Hensley, C. (2003). From animal cruelty to serial murder: Applying the graduation hypothesis. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 47(1), 71-88.
Esteve, M. & González, M. (2023). Exposición de menores a la violencia hacia animales en espectáculos y otras actividades: impactos, repercusiones y necesidad de protección https://coppaprevencion.org/recurso/expósito-menores-violencia-animales-spectaculos-activityes-proteccion/



10. Summary in Spanish. RESUMEN EN ESPAÑOL.

Informe temático de ESPAÑA: los menores de edad y la tauromaquia
1. Introducción

El informe temático se centra en exclusiva en el Grupo de Derechos E. Violencia en contra los niños (arts. 19, 24 (3), 28 (2), 34, 37 (a) y 39) y en concreto en el párrafo 25 de las Observaciones Finales (CRC/C/ESP/CO/5-6):

Prácticas nocivas
Tauromaquia
25. Para prevenir los efectos nocivos para los niños del espectáculo de los toros, el Comité recomienda que el Estado Parte prohíba la participación de niños menores de 18 años como toreros y como público en espectáculos de tauromaquia.

2. Incumplimiento y vulneración de la Convención por parte de España

España NO ha implementado la recomendación sobre tauromaquia, basándose en excusas competenciales totalmente infundadas.

La única medida aprobada en España que cumple con la recomendación consistente en la prohibición de menores de 18 años a las plazas de toros en les Illes Baleares, se va a derogar.

En la práctica, el debate sobre a quién corresponde esta competencia está impidiendo que España de cumplimiento a las Observaciones Finales del Comité.

Sin embargo, el Estado ES COMPETENTE para legislar sobre esta materia porque ya ha dictado legislación estatal sobre la materia y porque todas las Administraciones tienen el deber y el mandato de proteger a la infancia y a la adolescencia.

En España, la situación de las personas menores de edad es grave, por el número de escuelas taurinas, y su participación en entrenamientos privados y espectáculos públicos y su condición de asistentes en eventos taurinos, incluyendo los festejos populares, donde ponen en riesgo su salud física y mental.

En las escuelas taurinas, que han aumentado desde 2018, sigue habiendo accidentes de menores. Actualmente hay 76 escuelas taurinas, frente a las 55 escuelas en 2017 (cuando se presentó el informe anterior por parte de la Fundación Franz Weber). Los niños aprenden a torear en escuelas taurinas oficiales y en fincas ganaderas privadas, recibiendo clases teóricas y prácticas con animales vivos. Las clases prácticas son una simulación de un festejo taurino idéntico.
Durante la celebración de los miles de festejos taurinos populares existentes en toda la geografía española, sigue habiendo muertes de personas que pueden visualizar en directo los menores de edad, o bien directamente heridos graves y muertes de edad.

Los menores siguen siendo testigos en directo de graves cornadas y lesiones a toreros durante la celebración de corridas de toros.
3. Preguntas para el diálogo

Hemos tenido conocimiento que a nivel estatal, no se ha implementado legislación para cumplir con la prohibición del acceso de los menores a espectáculos taurinos, ya sea como alumnos de escuelas, toreros o espectadores, por considerar que no tienen competencias sobre ello y que solo las Comunidades Autónomas pueden hacerlo. Sin embargo, sí han dictado normativa sobre estos aspectos: por ejemplo, el Reglamento Taurino Nacional, de carácter estatal, fijó la edad para participar en lecciones prácticas con toros vivos a los 14 años (esto se podría modificar desde el Estado), la ley que fija la edad mínima para trabajar a los 16 años, siempre y cuando no suponga un peligro para su salud y formación humana, es estatal, de su competencia también.

Además, quiero recordar que todas las Administraciones españolas están obligadas a cumplir con el artículo 39 su Constitución (que prevé que en España los menores verán garantizados los derechos que les reconocen los Tratados Internacionales) y no pueden desproteger a los menores de edad afirmando que la protección de la infancia y la adolescencia es una competencia de las Comunidades Autónomas porque pueden regular sobre espectáculos públicos. Por cierto, la única Comunidad Autónoma que había cumplido parcialmente con la instancia del Comité prohibiendo el acceso a menores a plazas de toros, lo derogó, con lo que el incumplimiento es doble, de todas las Administraciones españolas.

¿Qué medidas legislativas y educativas va a proponer ESPAÑA para evitar un nuevo incumplimiento de la Convención?

4. Recomendaciones propuestas para las Observaciones Finales

El Estado tiene la obligación de atender la instancia de Naciones Unidas, ya que ostenta competencias sobre ello. Para cumplir con sus obligaciones en virtud de la Convención, se recomienda que España suba la edad de 18 años para torear profesionalmente, participar y asistir en espectáculos taurinos y ser alumnado de escuelas taurinas.

Se recomienda que el Comité se dirija a España en IDENTICO sentido como lo hizo para Portugal, (CRC/C/PRT/CO/5-6, 2019) , añadiendo lo que está en negrita:

27. El Comité de los Derechos del Niño recomienda que el Estado parte, a nivel estatal y de las Comunidades Autónomas, establezca la edad de 18 años para participar en espectáculos de tauromaquia, festejos taurinos populares y escuelas taurinas, sin excepción, así como llevar a cabo actividades de concienciación a los funcionarios públicos, a los medios de comunicación y a la población en general, sobre los efectos negativos en los menores de edad, incluyendo los espectadores, de la violencia asociada a los espectáculos y festejos taurinos.