In Gijón, a Man Accused of Brutally Killing a Seagull: Faces Up to 1.5 Years in Prison. A man has been detained in Gijón after killing a seagull in front of café patrons. He faces up to 18 months in prison under animal cruelty charges. The court has already begun proceedings.
In downtown Gijón, a man was detained after brutally killing a seagull in full view of café patrons on the busy Corrida street. The incident occurred during the day when the bird attempted to take food from a table, and the man grabbed it and struck it several times against the ground. Witnesses state that the bird remained in agony for a long time despite attempts by passersby to help. Ultimately, the seagull died and bystanders called the police.
Local police officers promptly arrived at the scene and detained the alleged perpetrator. After questioning, the man was released under judicial supervision, but the investigation is ongoing. The courts in Gijón are treating the case as a criminal matter, as the incident involves animal cruelty—which, since 2023 in Spain, is classified not as an administrative but as a criminal offense.
Under current legislation, intentional killing of a vertebrate wild animal in a public place is punishable by six to eighteen months of imprisonment. If it is proven that the act involved particular cruelty or occurred in the presence of minors, the penalty may be increased. In this case, witnesses insist that the man acted with particular cruelty, which could be considered an aggravating factor.
The issue of seagull behavior in Spanish cities remains relevant: their numbers are growing, and conflicts with people, especially in food service areas, are becoming increasingly frequent. However, as lawyers point out, even if birds cause irritation or damage, vigilante actions and animal cruelty are strictly prohibited by law. In recent years, Spanish courts have toughened their stance on such cases, as evidenced by the current proceedings in Gijón.
In parallel with this case, the country continues to discuss safety and responsibility issues in urban spaces. For example, in Magaluf, residents were recently forced to leave their apartments after a fire due to the threat of toxic gases — details about the evacuation situation in Trianon II also sparked wide public response.
For reference: seagulls in Spain are considered a protected species, and killing them without valid reasons is punishable by law. In recent years, there has been an increase in cases of animal cruelty in the country, linked to amendments to the criminal code and harsher sanctions. In such cases, courts take into account not only the fact of the animal’s death, but also the circumstances of the incident, the degree of cruelty, and the potential impact on those around.
