Miguel A. Lopes / LUSA
Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral
Maria Lúcia Amaral rejects systematic abuse, but attention is needed when training new members of the security forces.
The Minister of Internal Affairs denied that cases of abuse carried out by police officers were systematic in nature, but admitted the existence of a “culture of violence”, especially among young agentsdefending greater control at police stations.
“In our country these facts [abusos por parte dos polícias] continue to not be systemic practices. I cannot deny that there is a negative evolution. There is a kind of culture of violence especially in younger levels, in levels of young agents, as in all young people”, said Maria Lúcia Amaral in parliament.
In a sectoral debate in the plenary of the Assembly of the Republic, the minister was questioned by deputies, mainly from the PS, BE and Livre, about the cases of the Rato police station, in Lisbon, in which two PSP agents were accused of torture and rape, targeting mainly drug addicts, homeless people and foreigners, and the alleged involvement of another PSP agent in the neo-Nazi group 1143.
The minister said that the Ministry of Internal Administration is attentive to this culture of violence and is in “permanent dialogue” with the PSP and GNR hierarchies, which she highlighted, “are well aware of the problem and well alerted to it”.
“We are in dialogue with the hierarchy of the security forces, who are well aware that this happens, so that, in the organizational structure of the police stations, especially in large urban centers, we can have more appropriate forms of control, which aim precisely to prevent this culture of violence from taking hold”, he highlighted.
Maria Lúcia Amaral highlighted that “this institutional system that monitors, controls and acts is necessary to add a much greater attention” to training of members of the security forces and the criteria for choosing new police officers.
The minister defended that, at this moment, “it is necessary to have more attention, care and demands in schools”, considering that one must be “very careful” with the initial assessment carried out on new candidates.
And he reinforced: “In order to protect us all, to guarantee compliance with the fundamental values that unite us, that our security forces are faithful to these values, and to be able to continue to trust them, I believe – and I am convinced that we have on our side the hierarchy of all security forces – that there is a vigilance more necessary than ever. Than ever! In the initial momentswhen new elements are added and when training new elements for security forces.”
“Now, more than ever, it is necessary to invest in the training of security forces agents and invest in schoolsso that we can have professionals who are increasingly prepared, aware and capable of serving the country with rigor and responsibility”, commented the Minister of Internal Administration.
