A group of people who set fire to the horns of a bull last Saturday morning are now subject to a criminal investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
The Festa da Amizade in Benavente was anything but friendly for the unfortunate animal which was tied to a pole while a group of men set light to inflammable material on its horns.
The 'bulls of fire' event took place on the 22nd/23rd June during the festival with hundreds of onlookers who did nothing to stop this illegal act.
The Benavente branch of the Department of Criminal Investigation and Action for the Santarém district announced that the "investigation was opened to investigate the possible practice of crime related to ‘bulls of fire,’ assisted by the local GNR who will be looking at social media postings to track the offenders.
The PAN nature party already has questioned the Minister of Home Affairs about the events at the Benavente festivities, claiming the police stood by and did nothing as the bull was held and its horns lit to the apparent delight of the crowd.
"Despite the various interpellations by PAN and other entities, police officers allegedly were present at the festivities and did nothing to prevent this illegal practice, which was an offence against the welfare and physical integrity of the animal."
More concerning perhaps is the revelation that the bull burning event is listed on the Festa da Amizade programme on the local council’s website.
See: https://www.facebook.com/smack.pt/videos/1972914246261412/
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