Amnesty condemns police violence

A REPORT published today by Amnesty International condemns police violence in France.

The report, entitled France – police officers above the law includes case studies of deaths, excessive force and racist beatings at the hands of officers.

It said that many incidents are rarely investigated let alone punished and it calls for an independent enquiry body to be set up.

“Not the justice system, nor internal police investigations, nor the national security ethical commission (CNDS) fully fit the requirements of international law to carry out efficient, impartial, independent investigations rapidly,” said the report.

It looks at 12 case histories of young people who are said to have been brutalised by the police, including two who are said to have died from injuries and criticises the lack of statistics on such incidents.

They report disproportionate, often gratuitous violence by police and a feeling of anger that France, which prides itself on its human rights, appears to give immunity to the officers responsible.

The report has been criticised by the government and police unions.

The Interior Ministry said: “No police officer is above the law. There is no tolerance of police violence.”

Ministry spokesman Gérard Gachet added: “There is no great rift between the French public and their police force.”

He added that the ministry was not opposed to “credible” annual reports on police violence.

Police unions have said the report is exaggerated. A spokesman for the Alliance union said: “Out of thousands of police interventions there is only ever a minority of complaints and convictions – and there are convictions.”