UN urges Spain to ban children from bullfights to protect them from 'extreme violence'
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child steps up pressure on Madrid and regional governments to bar under-18s from arenas and bullfighting schools to prevent 'harmful psychological effects'
J. A. Guerrero
Friday, 6 February 2026, 12:18
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has once again formally requested that the Spanish government ban children from attending bullfighting events or training in bullfighting.
On this occasion it also included the various regional governments in its demands.
In 2018, when the conclusions of the previous review of Spain were published, the committee already included in its report the recommendation to prohibit "the participation of children under the age of 18 as bullfighters and as spectators in bullfighting events" with the aim of "preventing harmful effects on children".