The Council of Europe denounces cases of ill-treatment in Catalan prisons

BarcelonaCases of mistreatment in police custody, in Catalan prisons, and in juvenile detention centers. The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), a body of the Council of Europe, has reported several cases of "excessive use of force" by the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and prison officers against detainees. It has also reported the use of force by staff in juvenile detention centers. Specifically, the delegation from the European body, which visited Catalonia between November 25 and December 5, 2024, claims to have "corroborated" through medical certificates mistreatment such as "slapping," "punching," and "hitting" by authorities. The CPT did so in a report released this Thursday, which, however, explains that the majority of prisoners interviewed stated they received "correct" treatment.

Furthermore, the CPT is once again calling on the Generalitat (Catalan government) to abolish the use of regimental mechanical restraints on prisoners and minors in beds with straps. In fact, it is urging the Catalan authorities to comply with the recommendations previously made by the committee itself, particularly with regard to mechanical restraints for disciplinary reasons, and criticizes it for not having done so until now.

Sources from the Department of Justice assure that work is already underway to "reduce mechanical restraints as much as possible" and to "follow the requirements of international treaties and conventions." They also specify that "the restraints used in Catalan penitentiary centers are applied following the criteria oflast ratio", that is, as a last resort.

The report states that despite a decrease in the overall number of such measures over the past year, the practice remains problematic in several ways. "In particular, it poses a risk of ill-treatment by locking prisoners face down and forcing them to receive intramuscular injections from medical staff. It is often used for punitive purposes and is accompanied by inappropriate prisoner handling techniques by prison staff, often resulting in the infliction of physical injury.

The extraordinary mission of the European delegation, made up of ten people—six members of the CPT and four external advisors—also asked the Generalitat (Catalan regional government) to implement a "zero tolerance" policy against mistreatment, "reinforced supervision" of procedures, "improved reporting of injuries," and "more comprehensive evaluations" of the use of the Generalitat's equipment. These measures are said to be motivated by the aim of combating alleged cases of slapping, punching, and assault by prison officers. According to the CPT, this mistreatment allegedly occurred in "contexts of agitation," "escalated altercations with staff," and "during instances of passive resistance" by prisoners.

In the case of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), the complaints collected by the delegation allegedly occurred during police detention or during transfer to a police station or prison. In addition to the aforementioned mistreatment, the CPT also includes cases of "tight handcuffing, excessive use of force during arrest, and verbal insults." For these reasons, the committee is addressing the police force's senior leadership to initiate "specific training activities on manual control techniques in the context of the arrest of suspects."

Mossos d'Esquadra sources explained to ACN that, following the report, which they received in preliminary form some time ago, the General Commissariat for Investigation and Disciplinary Affairs was asked to investigate the cases specifically reported by the CPT. In none of them had the victim filed a complaint, and the internal investigation determined that the police action had been correct. Therefore, the police force categorically denies the report's assertions and, despite respecting it, considers the method of gathering witnesses to be "lack of rigor" because the facts gathered were not verified by the police themselves or other sources.

Improving staff selection in juvenile centers

The report also focuses on Catalan juvenile centers. Specifically, it focuses on the Els Til·lers Educational Center, the only one visited by the delegation during their stay in the country. While the report positively assesses the detention conditions, the environment, and the diverse range of activities offered, it also details various allegations related to the excessive use of force by private security personnel against minors. Therefore, the European body recommends improving the selection of personnel at the centers and the training of security personnel.

The committee also expresses concern about the adverse effects of the use of mechanical restraints on minors in the center's therapeutic unit and recommends its abolition. Furthermore, the CPT recommends ending the segregation of minors under 18 as a disciplinary punishment, as well as discontinuing the systematic use of handcuffs during transport and medical examinations.