Champ-Dollon prison officer found guilty of abuse of authority
A detention officer at the Geneva prison of Champ-Dollon has been tried for striking a prisoner and falsifying an incident report.
Champ-Dollon prison officer found guilty of abuse of authority
The Police Court has convicted a detention officer employed for nearly three decades at the Geneva prison of Champ-Dollon. He was found guilty of abuse of authority and forgery of official documents, after violently slapping a detainee and then drafting a false report.
The incident occurred during a confrontation with a new resident of the establishment, a man named Mohamed. Recently incarcerated, the latter was protesting loudly and wanted to understand the reasons for his imprisonment. The deputy prison chief is alleged to have then struck the prisoner in the face with his hand.
Wearing his uniform, the defendant appeared before magistrate Alexandra Banna to contest the penal order issued by the public prosecutor's office. His defence relied on the argument of self-defence. He maintained that he had only pushed the detainee with his palm. He also justified the inaccuracies in his report by claiming to have been in a disturbed emotional state, explaining that he had signed without re-reading. Surprisingly, he stated that in a similar situation, he would act in the same way again.
Video recordings from the detention facility, however, contradicted his account. In a prison environment where silence and solidarity amongst officers often prevail, these images proved to be decisive in establishing the truth. They clearly show the violence of the gesture and the absence of provocation justifying such a reaction.
The investigating magistrate had initially imposed an administrative sanction which the individual chose to appeal before the criminal court. The arguments of the defence did not convince the judges. The officer's legal representatives indicated that they would appeal this decision.
Source: Le Temps
Source: Le Temps