The European Anti-Torture Committee calls on the Portuguese authorities to “completely eradicate” physical ill-treatment carried out by the police, adding that complaints continue despite the progress made in recent years.
In the report released this Tuesday (October 21) about a visit to Portugal in 2024, the The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) reports that it has observed “a decrease” in allegations of ill-treatment by law enforcement officers compared to previous visits to the country”, and measures were also taken by the Portuguese authorities to resolve this issue.
However, he highlights that “concerns continue to exist”, having received several allegations of physical ill-treatment carried out by the Portuguese police, including “the excessive use of force during detention”.
“The alleged ill-treatment consisted mainly of punches, kicks to the body and/or head and, occasionally, the use of batons,” the document states.
Complaints also included being thrown against a wall, pressure on the head with the foot or on the neck with the knee or baton, “despite the fact that the detained people had already been controlled.”the rapporteurs write, also reporting reports of verbal threats and acts of humiliation.
The document references the need to ensure medical care and better injury reporting.
“The Portuguese authorities must remain vigilant and continue their efforts, in line with a “zero tolerance” policyin order to completely eradicate police mistreatment. They must, in particular, improve the communication of these cases, both internally and to the competent investigative bodies, and provide adequate training to law enforcement agents”, recommend the experts from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane Treatment.
The Committee expressed “deep concern about persistent failures in the response of the Portuguese criminal justice systems”, which it says represent a risk to trust in Portuguese authorities.
“Regarding access to a lawyer, this right does not appear to be guaranteed to people in police custody in all cases since the beginning of the deprivation of liberty,” the report’s authors noted.
To illustrate some situations, the committee cites the case of a man detained by the PSP who reported having been handcuffed and placed on the ground by the agents, while they kicked him, threw punches and hit him on the head with a bat, among other attacks that were confirmed in the report of the nurse who assisted him in prison.
“The CPT continued to observe omissions on the part of prison establishments, as well as the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI) and the General Inspectorate of Justice Services, in communicating possible cases of ill-treatment by law enforcement agents to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as cases in which allegations or information indicating ill-treatment were not responded to, or were insufficiently swift, by this service”, the document adds.
The committee also highlighted the need to improve communication and information sharing between criminal and disciplinary investigation bodies, especially in cases where disciplinary and criminal proceedings run in parallel.
The authors of the document also ask that agents be identified during operations and dispute the fact that some agents cover their faces.
The Committee for the Prevention of Torture also recommends that authorities implement the use of body camerasa measure that, those responsible for the report emphasize, offers additional protection against the “risk of excessive use and other forms of treatment, also guaranteeing protection [aos agentes] against any allegation of ill-treatment.”
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