11 January 2005

MADRID- Adverts for a video game have been withdrawn from the metro in Madrid amid claims it glorifies violence against women.

The game, "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which was a top-selling hit at Christmas in Spain, depicts the gory adventures of a black gangster from the US West Coast who commits violent acts including killing a prostitute as he goes about enriching himself.

Spain's section of Amnesty International slammed the "adults only" game as sexist.

Madrid regional government deputy Eduardo Cuenca has attacked the adverts.

"It is inconceivable that the regional administration should allow the promotion of this kind of product, the risk being evident that it falls into the hands of girls and boys who are in the process of forming their values and their ideas," Cuenca said.

Since the game, distributed by Take-Two Interactive Software, came out on 29 October 500,000 copies worth a total of EUR 33 million (USD 35m) have been sold.

"One cannot tackle violence against women and allow advertising which incites such violence," Cuenca told the Spanish Cadena Ser radio station, calling for an ethical
code to regulate metro advertising.

Amnesty issued a report two weeks ago which slammed games portraying violence against women and present stereotypical images of them, while lamenting most games to which minors had access incited sexist violence.

The move came days after the Spanish government adopted a pioneering law designed to protect women from domestic violence which would facilitate the withdrawal of advertising deemed to be discriminatory and portray women as sexual stereotypes.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has made tackling the problem of domestic violence in Spain a top priority and said on taking office in April that he saw violence against women as the country's "worst shame."
 
[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news