Ministry of Social Rights of Spain has asked the country’s prosecutor’s office to conduct investigation on Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal after he reportedly hired people with dwarfism to entertain at his 18th birthday party.
Lamine Yamal held a party on Sunday at a rented property in Olivella, a small town 50 kilometres north west of Barcelona, with guests encompassing YouTubers, influencers, and several Barcelona team-mates.
According to allegations, Lamine Yamal hired a group of entertainers with dwarfism, something the Association of People with Achondroplasia and other Skeletal Dysplasias in Spain (ADEE) described as “unacceptable in the 21st century”.
“The ADEE has filed a complaint, so this ministry has asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate to see if the law has been violated and, therefore, the rights of people with disabilities [have been],” Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights told the AFP news agency.
We “publicly denounces the hiring of people with dwarfism as part of the entertainment”, the ADEE said. It added, it would take legal action as it “perpetuates stereotypes, fuels discrimination, and undermines the image and rights” of people with disabilities.
Via a statement, the ADEE said: “These actions violate not only current legislation but also the fundamental ethical values of a society that seeks to be egalitarian and respectful.
“The general law on the rights of persons with disabilities expressly prohibits the following practices: ‘Shows or recreational activities in which people with disabilities or other circumstances are used to provoke mockery, ridicule, or derision from the public in a manner contrary to the respect due to human dignity are prohibited’.”
