Military police accused of forcing suspects to wear PT campaign shirts in Piracicaba face four criminal charges
Military police officers in Piracicaba, São Paulo state, are under investigation for forcing detainees to wear campaign shirts of the Workers' Party (PT). The case involves charges of threat, unlawful constraint, and abuse of authority.
Military police in Piracicaba investigated for forcing detainees to wear PT campaign uniforms before being taken to the police station
The Civil Police of Piracicaba (São Paulo state) filed a police report against Military Police officers accused of forcing drug trafficking suspects to wear campaign shirts of the Workers' Party (PT) before escorting them to the police station. The document, filed at approximately 23:00 on Thursday (22) by PT activists at the duty police station, lists four crimes classified under the Brazilian Penal Code, according to g1.globo.com's investigation.
The crimes listed in the report are: threat (article 147), unlawful constraint (article 146), abuse of authority by constraining a prisoner or detainee through violence and serious threat, and abuse of authority by entering an occupied property without the occupant's consent.
Military inquiry and jurisdictional dispute
Civil Police delegate Alex Adami stated that the case will be investigated through a military criminal inquiry by the Military Police's Internal Affairs Division, given that the accused are members of the force and the allegations arose during the performance of their duties.
G1.globo.com consulted criminal law solicitor João Paulo Sangion, professor of postgraduate penal law at PUC-Campinas, about the possibility that the Internal Affairs Division might alter the nature of the crimes during the investigation. "First and foremost, there will be an investigation by the Military Police's Internal Affairs Division. However, there are common crimes that fall within the remit of Military Justice, in addition to the abuse of authority crime, which is already provided for", Sangion stated.
The expert emphasises that common law and military courts may have divided jurisdictions over the case, with potential jurisprudential divergence "regarding jurisdiction for the trial and judgement of the abuse of authority crime, whether it falls to common law or military courts".
Sangion also recalled that Law No. 13.491/2017, in force since October of that year, expanded the jurisdiction of Military Justice. According to him, the regulation "transfers to Military Courts any crime provided for in common criminal legislation insofar as it was committed by a member of the military whilst on duty or in the exercise of their function".
What is known about the case
Arrests and seizures On Wednesday (21), two adults were arrested and an adolescent was apprehended in Piracicaba. The Public Security Secretariat stated that 160 portions of cocaine, a .32 calibre revolver with obliterated serial number, and R$340 in cash were seized.
Account from residents, family members, and activists Residents, family members, and state representative Professora Bebel (PT) claim that the suspects were not wearing PT shirts at the time of apprehension. According to them, the police would have placed the clothing on the detainees before taking them to the police station. The mother of the apprehended adolescent said her son was wearing a blue tank top shirt.
Statement from one of the suspects A 21-year-old man told the Civil Police that the officers found the shirts and ordered them to put them on. "The police found these shirts thrown in some shack in the alley and told us to wear them", according to a passage from the statement obtained by g1.globo.com.
Account from the activists Two women hired by the PT campaign claim that police officers took uniforms from them and then placed them on the suspects. According to their accounts, the officers requested three shirts and demanded that the items be handed over.
Reports of assaults and insults Activists reported that police officers called the PT a "vagabond party" and Lula a "thief" during the apprehension. The mother of one of the young men also accuses the officers of assaulting her 14-year-old daughter during the incident.
Repercussion on social media The arrival of the detainees at the police station was recorded and the video was shared by elected senator Guilherme Derrite (PP). In a statement, Derrite said that the purpose of the post was to draw attention to the recruitment of young people by drug trafficking and that he made no mention of the shirts worn by those involved.
Institutional responses
The Military Police stated that it opened an investigation procedure into the case after becoming aware of allegations regarding assaults and the alleged mandatory use of the shirts.
The PT approached the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic and requested that the Electoral Public Ministry open an investigation. The party stated that the purpose of the alleged fraud would have been to produce a fake video to inflame social media and damage the campaign.
The Police Ombudsman's Office of São Paulo requested that the Internal Affairs Division remove the police officers involved until the conclusion of the investigation. The Ministry of Justice also requested information from the security agencies of São Paulo state.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo