The stabbing of an 11-year-old while playing football with friends has brought misinformation to the forefront in Spain. On social media, rumours circulated that the culprit was of north African origin. Some claimed that he was an unaccompa𝓡nied minor🐻 seeking asylum.
The victim, who has been named as Mateo, was attacked by a per🥀son with a sharp object on Sunday morning while playing with friends. He suffered 10 stab wounds, according to broadcaster RTVE. The attacker, who wore a hood and scarf, fled the scene.
A massive police ope🌌ration was launched, involving land and air surveillance, and the suspect was finally arrested at his father's house on Tuesday, more than 30 hours after the attack.
However, in the hours following the attack, false claims circulated on social media sugges🍷ting the suspect was of north African origin or an unaccompanied minor seeking asylum. This comes after recent killings in the English town of Southport were used to stoke anti-immigration tensions.
As misinformation proliferated online, the ✤victim's family appealed for calm. "This has nothing to do with race or ideology," said Asell Sánchez, a relative acting as a spokesperson for the family, The Gua🌸rdian reported.
"They're talking about migrants who have come to the hotel, these a🧜re peaceful people who are getting on with their lives, it has nothing to do with this."
On Tuesday, one day after Spanish media broadcast images that appeared to show a young white man being arrested in connection with the crime, the Spanish governme🎀nt's representative in Castilla-La Mancha, Milagros Tolón, condemned those who spread false claims as "sowers of hatred".
Speaking to reporters, she described social media as a “dumping ground for🦩 filth”, as a cadre of mostly anonymous users look to lay blame o🔜n people over their skin colour or religion.
“Can one be more cruel and wretched?” she said. “I’m asking the hatemongers to be human and beಞhave like human beings. Their misinformation causes harm and can provoke anger in innocent people. You cannot take advantage of one tragedy to create another.”
