Paris (AFP)

In 2019, "around thirty judicial investigations were launched against the police on racist comments," said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner on Tuesday, who now wants an administrative suspension to be systematically initiated in these cases.

"Last year, there were thirty judicial investigations launched within the IGPN (General Inspectorate of the National Police) against police officers on racist remarks," said Christophe Castaner at the microphone of BFM TV / RMC.

"Eight of these judicial investigations have been closed without follow-up and 22 have been referred to the courts," he said.

However, not all of the officers involved were dismissed. "We have to wait for the end of the procedure and that's what I want to change," said the Minister of the Interior, specifying his announcements on Monday on the "suspension in the event of a known suspicion" of racism.

"Because we considered that there were enough elements to transmit to the judge to prosecute, I think that an administrative sanction is necessary. The administrative sanction of prevention is suspension", it detailed.

"In these 22 cases out of 150,000 police officers and 100,000 gendarmes (...) I want there now to be a systematic suspension", he added, estimating that "22 people is ultimately very few but they are 22 people who try the uniform of the Republic. "

"The suspicion is that there is a doubt, there is a word that has not been released, it must be released. Then, there is an investigation. If the investigation determines that there are comments or racist behavior, at that time, they are proven and I want administrative sanctions ", explained the minister.

"The slightest warning, because our institution must be more exemplary than others yet - even if I reaffirm it is not racist (...) - whenever we have suspicions, we investigate and if it is proven, we initiate a procedure, "he insisted.

In Rouen, police officers implicated in December 2019 for racist remarks exchanged over Whatsapp messaging have still not been suspended.

"It shows the change in doctrine that I want," justified the Minister of the Interior.

"In January, we started an administrative procedure and these four people will go to disciplinary council in a few days and will be sanctioned - I have no doubt - and at the same time, there is a criminal investigation", he said. he says.

"When I read the report on Rouen, I was deeply shocked, I asked for the administrative procedure and I regret not having expressly asked for the immediate suspension," added Christophe Castaner.

The minister also seized the Paris prosecutor's office Friday for racist messages posted on Facebook and attributed to members of the police, as revealed by the news site Streetpress.

"We will let the investigation take place (...) If they are police and gendarmes and these comments are considered public, and that is a legal definition which belongs to the prosecutor, I will initiate an administrative sanction procedure ", announced Christophe Castaner.

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