Lamine Yamal is set to be investigated by the Spanish government after allegedly hiring people with dwarfism for his 18th birthday party.
The midfielder celebrated the milestone over the weekend, throwing a party which was attended by family, friends and Barcelona team-mates. He shared a one-minute clip on Instagram in which he greeted guests and posed for the camera.
However, a number of concerning claims have been made in the aftermath of the event. Yamal has been accused of ‘hiring people with dwarfism as part of entertainment’ by the Association of People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE). It has also been claimed that organisers tried to recruit women based on their hair colour and breast size.
Now, the Spanish government have demanded an investigation to establish whether any rules were broken. According to Marca, they are looking into the possibility that Yamal may have violated a law against shows that mock or denigrate people with disabilities.
The law in question has prohibited such activities for nearly three years and the report states that Yamal could be fined up to £867,000 if he is found to have broken it.
Jesus Martin, General Director for Disability Rights, said: “We are concerned that people with money, people with power, believe themselves to be unpunished. The law is for everyone, for the humble and for the powerful.”
Martin also expressed concerns that “a young man with so many followers, an influencer for young people, would throw these kinds of parties which could have a knock-on effect on youth.”
It comes after Claudio Calvo, a Spanish model, claimed that she was contacted by the organisers of the party to invite her to attend. She also alleged that she was asked to recruit 12 other women who met specific physical standards.
Calvo told Extra that organisers were looking for ‘models or escorts’, which made her uncomfortable and led to her rejecting the offer. She added: “They focused mainly on breast size or hair colour, whether they were blonde.
“Since I’ve been a nightclub waitress, I’ve met a few girls. I told them I was looking for these girls, and they said they were interested.
“But I mentioned that the organisers weren’t giving me any assurances about whether they should have any contact with any of the people who would be at the party.”
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