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A further 15 police officers suspected of torturing and abusing vulnerable people were arrested in Portugal on Tuesday, in a widening investigation into abuses of power in the Iberian country.
With the suspects taken into custody on Tuesday, a total of 24 police officers are now under investigation for alleged acts of “aggravated torture, rape, abuse of power and aggravated assault,” according to a police statement.
Investigators carried out around 30 searches on Tuesday, including in two police stations in the Portuguese capital Lisbon where the abuses are believed to have taken place.
According to the Portuguese press, the victims were mainly undocumented foreigners, homeless people or drug users.
When questioned about the case on Monday, police director Luís Carrilho said: “We enforce a zero-tolerance policy toward cases of misconduct.”
“Citizens can continue to have confidence in the police,” he insisted.
March arrests
In March, seven police officers were remanded in custody on charges including torture, rape, abuse of power and serious physical harm following alleged crimes at a Lisbon police station.
The Public Security Police (PSP) officers were arrested on 4 March in connection with alleged incidents at the Rato Police Station.
A court at the time justified pre-trial detention by citing the danger of continued criminal activity, serious disturbance to public order and the risk of evidence tampering.
According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, the investigation was expected to involve around 70 officers from various police stations, including some with the rank of chief.
The PSP’s Lisbon Metropolitan Command said it “strongly repudiates any behaviour that constitutes a flagrant violation of these principles,” and stressed the institution itself reported the facts to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Two other PSP officers were already in pre-trial detention on similar charges at the same police station at the time of the March arrests, authorities said.
They were arrested in July last year following raids on several Lisbon police stations for “possibly committing various crimes, including torture, offences against qualified physical integrity, embezzlement and forgery.”
The officers were formally charged in January. According to the indictment, the officers chose victims from among the most vulnerable, mainly targeting drug addicts, homeless people and illegal immigrants.
Additional sources • AFP
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