Over 300 people which included family and friends of Able Urena, the young man who died in hospital after an assault by a fellow employee at Ushuaia Beach Hotel, yesterday marched in protest calling for the regulation of the door security sector in Ibiza. Able Urena's father spoke at the rally, asking why the accused, Paulo Cesar Baptista, a convicted felon in Portugal, was responsible for guest security at Ushuaia Hotel.
Doormen or Bouncers in Ibiza are not regulated and there are no background checks or references required when Hotels and Clubs hire them to control crowd safety. In the last year or so, Government in Ibiza have started to look into the matter but to date, have not come up with legislation to deal with the problem. In most European cities, doormen and bouncers are regulated and have to sit exams and courses to attain a licence to act as a security employee. It has taken tragic circumstances similar to the death of Able Urena, for governments to introduce new legislation to ensure only qualified people with suitable backgrounds are employed.
The man accused of Abel Urena's death is still at large and is rumoured to have fled to Brazil where extradition protection is strong. Friends and family understandably want to see justice being served and they are annoyed that Paulo Cesar Baptista was allowed to leave the Island. The demonstrators also accused the Ibiza Hotel "Disco Mafia", a local term used to describe the powerful Hotel and Club owners of Ibiza, of turning a blind eye to the problem. A spokesman for the Fiesta Hotel Group who own Ushuaia Beach Hotel, stated their full support in ensuring that the accused is brought to justice and that they were shocked by what had happened.