Two men, homeless and suspected of stealing just over 50 euros, were attacked and forced to simulate sexual acts between themselves. Preventive detention for two 25-year-old PSP agents, “driven by a desire for humiliation”.
Suspected of a theft from a commercial establishment, worth 55.07 euros, two homeless people would go through unthinkable violence during their detention at the hands of two PSP agents, then stationed at Esquadra do Rato, in Lisbon.
This Tuesday describes a scenario of beatings, extreme humiliation and sexual violence with objects, with other police officers watching, laughing and filming the serious abuses that took place one morning last year.
The two officers, both 25 years old and then working at Esquadra do Rato, intercepted the men after the alleged theft. The victims, drug addicts, short in stature and very physically weak, were taken to the police station, where they remained for several hours without being formally detained.
According to the evidence collected, one of the officers, without uniform and apparently drunk, held the men responsible for a road accident that occurred during transport to the police station. They followed belt strikes, punches, kicks and the use of an extendable baton. At a certain point, the officer pulled down the pants of one of the detainees and inserted the baton into the victim’s anus, making repeated movements while he screamed in pain.
The humiliation went further when the object was placed in front of the man’s face: “smell your shit now!”the officer said, accompanied by insults and laughter from the other police officers who were watching and filming the scene.
The second officer arrested is suspected of similar conduct, having allegedly tried to insert a broom handle into the other homeless man’s anus and forced both to simulate sexual acts with each other, under threat and under recording. The violence only ended when a third police officer entered the room and questioned what was happening.
The victims did not seek immediate medical assistance, allegedly out of shame and fear of reprisals, but the PSP Management became aware of the situation and a process was opened that culminated in the arrest of the two agents and the decision to keep them in preventive detention.
The Lisbon Court of Appeal confirmed the preventive detention for those detained for physical attacks and extreme humiliation and considered that there was a danger of serious disruption of public order, a risk of repeating criminal activity and a threat to the integrity of the investigation itself.
“In addition to distancing themselves greatly from what their duties and responsibilities are, they demonstrated a personality completely averse to the duty of criminal law, not only due to the seriousness of the crimes indicted, but also driven by a desire to humiliate the offended, in the eyes of those who watched and did nothing, in a pure demonstration of superiority of those who allow themselves to act in this way, armed with an alleged power over the victims, even when faced with their real suffering”, reads a ruling dated November 4th, cited by JN.
If the facts are confirmed at trial, the defendants could face penalties exceeding five years in prison.
