Seven Portuguese police officers have been 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 incidents at the Rato Police Station.
The court justified pre-trial detention by citing the danger of continued criminal activity, serious disturbance of public order and the risk of evidence tampering.
According to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, the investigation could involve around 70 officers from various police stations, including some with the rank of chief.
The PSP’s Lisbon Metropolitan Command opened seven disciplinary proceedings following the case. The PSP 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 are already in pre-trial detention on similar charges at the same police station, according to authorities.
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. They were subjected to sexual and physical abuse, according to SIC.
Nine PSP officers are now detained on suspicion of torture, facing criminal and internal disciplinary proceedings.
No place in Portugal’s police if guilty, officials say
Inspector General of Internal Administration Pedro Figueiredo said the cases are “a priority” that “have to be dealt with more quickly”.
Interior Minister Luís Neves said the “overwhelming majority of PSP professionals serve Portugal with a high sense of mission, courage and respect for democratic legality”. He emphasised the complaint came from the PSP itself, proving “there is internal control and prevention”.
Armando Ferreira, president of SINAPOL police union, said if the crimes are confirmed, the officers have no place in the force.
“If justice convicts, it’s because it’s been proven that it happened. And if it did happen, these people have no place in the Public Security Police,” he told Euronews.
Ferreira said recruitment standards have dropped as the profession has become less attractive.
“When I applied to the Public Security Police for 700 vacancies, there were 17,000 applicants,” he said, noting officers now pay for health services and medicines and receive standard pensions rather than enhanced benefits.
Recent changes to broaden recruitment included raising the maximum admission age from 30 to 35 and setting a minimum height of 1.60 metres for both men and women.
PSP national director Luís Carrilho told parliament on 3 March that 85 candidates were excluded last year following psychotechnical tests.
He said training would be reinforced with subjects on prevention of discrimination, extremism and radicalism, plus an additional 30-hour trial period with an “operational mentoring system and the possibility of dismissal in the case of ethical deficiencies and serious behaviour.”