Prosecutors want 3-year prison sentence for a National Police officer who abused migrants
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Canary Islands is seeking three years and three months in prison for a National Police officer accused of mistreating two migrants who had just arrived in a small boat in Lanzarote.
The incidents allegedly took place on 1st January 2024 inside the CATE migrant reception centre in Arrecife, where new arrivals are held for up to 72 hours while being officially identified. The case will be heard next Tuesday at the Las Palmas High Court.
According to the prosecution, two newly arrived migrants were subjected to physical violence and degrading treatment by a police officer who had been temporarily assigned to support staff at the centre.
The officer, identified only as A.B., is accused of slapping one migrant hard across the face during questioning in an attempt to force him to say who organised the boat journey. The prosecution says he previously slapped another migrant and kicked him in the leg under similar circumstances.
The Fiscalía argues that the officer acted with the intention of causing “humiliation and intimidation,” leaving both men in a state of fear and distress, although neither suffered physical injuries.
Prosecutors classify the first incident as torture, carrying a proposed sentence of two years in prison, and the second as a crime against moral integrity, with a recommended sentence of one year and three months.
In addition to the prison term, the Prosecutor's Office is seeking 13 years of disqualification from public service, which would bar the officer from holding any public-sector job during that period.
Share:
