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 unaccompanied minor seeking asylum.
The victim, who has been named as Mateo, was attacked by a person 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 operation 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 suggesting 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 Guardian reported.
"They're talking about migrants who have come to the hotel, these are 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 government'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 on 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 behave like human beings. Their misinformation causes harm and can provoke anger in innocent people. You cannot take advantage of one tragedy to create another.”
