This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/26/fran-rivera-spanish-matador-investigated-baby-daughter-bullfight
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Spanish matador investigated for bullfighting with baby | Spanish matador investigated for bullfighting with baby |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Spanish bullfighter Francisco Rivera is being investigated by the child protection agency in his native Andalucía after he posted a picture online of him fighting a bull with his five-month-old daughter, Carmen, in his arms. | |
| Rivera has received widespread criticism from animal rights groups and public figures, despite bullfighting aficionados praising him – some even nominating him “father of the year”. | Rivera has received widespread criticism from animal rights groups and public figures, despite bullfighting aficionados praising him – some even nominating him “father of the year”. |
| Related: It was Spain’s ‘national fiesta’. Now bullfighting divides its people | Related: It was Spain’s ‘national fiesta’. Now bullfighting divides its people |
| The acting minister of social security, Alfonso Alonso, said: “It isn’t right in any circumstances to put a child at risk.” Speaking on Canal Sur radio María José Sánchez Rubio, the equality minister, also criticised Rivera, saying: “A fireman wouldn’t dream of taking a child to put out a fire, nor would a football player run around with a child in their arms during a match.” | |
| Rivera denied he had put the child at risk. “It’s outrageous to say I put my child in danger,” he said. “There is no safer place for her to be than in my arms. This is Carmen’s debut, the fifth bullfighting generation in my family. My grandfather did the same with my father, my father with me, and me with my daughters Cayetana and now Carmen.” | Rivera denied he had put the child at risk. “It’s outrageous to say I put my child in danger,” he said. “There is no safer place for her to be than in my arms. This is Carmen’s debut, the fifth bullfighting generation in my family. My grandfather did the same with my father, my father with me, and me with my daughters Cayetana and now Carmen.” |
| Fellow bullfighters rushed to support Rivera, posting pictures of themselves holding children while putting a bull through its paces. Manuel Díaz, known as “El Cordobés”, wrote under a picture apparently showing him with a bull and his daughter in his arms: “What’s wrong with showing our children the profession we love and which is founded on values?” | |
| The animal rights group Pacma described it as “shameful” and said it was not the way to teach children respect for animals. | The animal rights group Pacma described it as “shameful” and said it was not the way to teach children respect for animals. |
| There was a public outcry when Rivera was awarded the Fine Arts medal by the ministry of culture in 2009. In Spain bullfighting is defined as a cultural activity, not a sport. | There was a public outcry when Rivera was awarded the Fine Arts medal by the ministry of culture in 2009. In Spain bullfighting is defined as a cultural activity, not a sport. |