ThosePolice violence in Geneva
For the first time, the police unveiled their figures
The General Inspectorate of Services (IGS) makes its activity report public. The number of surveys increased by 11% in 2024.
The complaints addressed to the IGS mainly relate to allegations of abusive use of force or a means of constraint.
© Archive TDG
- Unique model in Switzerland, the General Inspectorate of Services was created in 2009 to investigate the allegations of police violence.
- His activity report reports 143 open investigations 2024.
- Nine cases of corruption concern the introduction of drugs or mobile phones in prison.
- In the end, nearly three -quarters of the criminal procedures are classified without follow -up.
Faced with requests for human and media rights defense associations, the General Inspectorate of Services (IGS) – or police police – now plays the transparency card. For the first time in fifteen years of existence, the body responsible for criminal investigations targeting all members of the police body makes its activity report public.
Until then, only the Cantonal Police Staff and the Attorney General received the document containing, in particular, the data relating to police and penitentiary violence.
Unique in Switzerland
Before examining the figures, a context is essential. Because IGS is a Geneva exception modeled on a French practice. The other Swiss cantons do not have such a structure.
The IGS originates from a petition of Champ-Dollon detainees denouncing in 2006 police violence. In the process, the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or treatment (CPT) suggested to the canton to set up an independent control body before the State Councilor Laurent Moutinot launched the structure in 2009.
From three inspectors at its beginnings, the IGS is now endowed with fifteen people responsible for investigating allegations of police or penitentiary violence, but also on the offenses committed by members of the police in the private framework.
Abusive use of force
What about figures? The IGS opened 143 files in 2024, 11.6% more than the previous year. Main reason invoked: the abusive use of force or a means of constraint. Last year, 52 cases entered this category, primarily targeting members of the cantonal police (42), then the detention office (10), but no municipal police officer or member of another service.
In this field, denunciations most often come from people arrested, who said they had suffered violence as part of their arrest. The use of handcuffs, spray to pepper, arms keys or “destabilization strikes” are at the origin of complaints.
Source: activity report of the General Inspectorate of Services 2024.
LDI
Corruption behind bars
Note that these surveys for the abusive use of the force can be opened following denunciations directly recorded by the IGS, but also on reporting of the public prosecutor.
As for the two deaths that occurred in 2024 in the violins of the old police hotel on Boulevard Carl-Vogt, they gave rise to the opening of surveys carried out by the IGS and then given to the public prosecutor.
Among the data of this report, the most surprising concerns the facts of corruption. They are “upstart,” said the IGS. In the real one, out of the ten open surveys in 2024 (against two in 2022 and two in 2023), nine concern agents of the cantonal detention office suspected of having introduced drugs or mobile phones in prison. One of these surveys is also at the origin of thearrest of a detention agentconfirms the document made public.
Few convictions
Finally, the transparency exercise sheds light on the outcome of criminal procedures transmitted to the prosecution following an IGS investigation. It appears that the number of convictions is very low. To grasp the phenomenon, it is a question of examining the data of the 1920s and 2022 (it is too early to examine the question for cases dating from 2024) to learn that 77% of the procedures are classified by justice (non-entry order or classification).
In its report, the IGS provides an explanation: “In this type surveys, it is sometimes difficult to collect objective elements which establish the facts with certainty. Apart from the cases where the facts are filmed, in particular by the cameras equipping the police stations or by the cameras and the bodycams Equipping places of detention, it is therefore necessary to be satisfied with contradictory versions on which justice will have to be based to make a decision, being recalled that doubt must benefit the accused. ”
The fact remains that 48 procedures led to criminal convictions during these 2021 and 2022: 25 concern offenses committed in the private framework by police officers, public security assistants (ASP), detention agents and an external official.
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