Malaga supermarket closed for 72 hours for selling alcohol to minors

Two 13-year-old girls were found unconscious after drinking a bottle of vodka in the city's El Palo district

Juan Cano

Friday, 17 March 2023, 13:14

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Malaga police have closed a supermarket in the city for 72 hours for allegedly selling alcohol to two 13-year-old girls who ended up in hospital with alcohol poisoning.

The two minors bought a bottle of vodka at around 9pm on 27 February and apparently drank it with a group of friends on a jetty in the city's eastern district of El Palo.

Later that evening, both girls went to use the toilet at a local pizza restaurant. One of them collapsed in the bathroom and the other in the dining area. Waiters called the emergency services and they were later taken to hospital with severe poisoning. Sources stated that both had fallen into an ethyl coma.

After treatment at the hospital, both girls made full a recovery. When contacted by officers, the teenagers' parents stated their intention to file a report against the shop in El Palo that apparently sold the alcohol to their daughters.

According to police, the girls said in their statement that they bought a bottle of vodka and were not asked for proof of age by the cashier. They then went to the jetty and began drinking with friends.

Officers set up surveillance around the suspected supermarket to confirm whether alcohol was being sold to minors.

On 3 March the police stopped two 17-year-olds leaving the shop carrying a bottle of Jägermeister, a high-proof liquor. The minors confirmed the cashier had not asked for any proof of age.

Two other groups of minors were also observed buying spirits from the supermarket; both groups confirmed they were never challenged about their ages.

When questioned, the manager of the shop insisted that she always asked for proof of ID when selling alcohol to anyone who looks below the minimum age.

However, after the serious alcohol poisoning of the two teenagers, and the surveillance carried out on the supermarket, police decided to close the store on a precautionary basis for 72 hours.

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