Three police officers to face trial for assault on handcuffed detainee in Guayaquil
The Public Prosecutor's Office accused three National Police officers of alleged abuse of authority during an arrest in 2023. The citizen was hospitalised in intensive care with injuries to the eye, chest and ribs.
Police officers face trial for injuries to handcuffed detainee in northern Guayaquil
Three National Police officers were called to trial for the alleged physical assault on a citizen who remained handcuffed during his detention, according to expreso.ec. The man presented serious injuries and had to be treated in the Intensive Care Unit of Abel Gilbert Pontón Hospital.
The case originated on 21 May 2023, when the citizen was detained pursuant to a warrant of appraisal issued in a legal proceeding regarding child support payments. The operation took place outside a shopping centre located between Francisco de Orellana Avenue and Plaza Dañín, in northern Guayaquil.
The officers transferred the detainee to the Community Police Unit (UPC) of Kennedy Norte to continue with the procedure and then conduct him to a facility of the National Service for Comprehensive Care of Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI).
According to the complaint filed by relatives of the affected person, the citizen's wife recorded part of the operation with her mobile phone and requested the return of her husband's belongings, including money and jewellery. From that moment, a verbal confrontation is alleged to have occurred which, according to the version investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office, led to an alleged physical assault against the detainee whilst he remained handcuffed.
The injuries were detected by SNAI officials upon receiving him at their facilities, who requested medical attention immediately. Medical reports incorporated into the case file indicate that the man presented wounds to the left eye, chest and ribs. He remained hospitalised in intensive care and received a medical incapacity certificate for 31 days.
The decision to bring the three uniformed officers to trial was adopted during the preparatory hearing held at the Albán Borja Judicial Unit, more than two years after the events occurred. At that stage, the Public Prosecutor's Office presented an accusatory ruling supported by documents from the detention, medical certificates, clinical history, testimonies from SNAI and Ministry of Public Health officials, as well as technical analysis of audio and video recordings.
The case is being processed for the alleged crime of abuse of authority in the execution of an act of service, a provision contemplated in the Comprehensive Organic Penal Code (COIP). The oral trial will determine whether there is criminal responsibility on the part of the officers involved.
Source: Google News EC — Guayaquil