Essonne: complaint for "acts of torture" at the Juvisy police station

Europe 1 with AFP 10:59 p.m., May 17, 2022, modified at 11:00 p.m., May 17, 2022

A complaint for "acts of torture" committed by police officers has been filed with the Evry judicial court in the case of accusations of police violence at the Juvisy-sur-Orge police station, AFP learned on Tuesday.

This complaint with civil action against X for "acts of torture committed by persons holding public authority, in a meeting, with the use of weapons" and with the aggravating circumstance of racist motive was sent on Tuesday to the dean of the judges of instruction of the court of Evry.

This type of complaint makes it possible to obtain the quasi-automatic appointment of an investigating judge, who is statutorily independent.

"Bougnoule" and "dirty Arab"

On the night of May 9 to 10 in Athis-Mons (Essonne), a neighboring town of Juvisy-sur-Orge, the young Mahedine, aged 19, and two friends were checked by officials, then placed in police custody for acts of contempt and rebellion.

As soon as he was arrested, he accused three police officers of having "thrown him violently to the ground" and of having used a tear gas canister "at the level of the face", causing "serious breathing difficulties", according to the complaint consulted by the AFP.

In the vehicle, an official would then have made racist remarks, such as 'bougnoule' and 'dirty Arab'", assures the young person.

Placed in police custody, he recounts new violence within the Juvisy police station, including "a very large number of punches in the face", "several taser blows to the left arm and shoulder", another to the neck and "foot crushing by the boots of officials".

The young man had obtained four days of ITT (total incapacity for work) following a medical examination carried out during his police custody.

Thirty lesions on the body were also noted.

Investigation into "alleged acts of violence"

"From 1986 to 2022, nothing has changed," reacted to AFP his lawyer Me Arié Alimi, referring to the Malik Oussekine case, bludgeoned to death by police.

"We torture in the police stations of the Republic, and we allow it on the Arabs because for them the Arabs are sub-human", he launched.

According to the complaint, his client suffered "unquestionably violence of such intensity that it characterizes the crime of torture", committed by the police.

Following a first complaint filed Friday with the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN), the Evry prosecution opened an investigation into the "alleged acts of violence".

The procedure for contempt and rebellion, entrusted to the police station of Juvisy, was suspended, the time of the investigation of the IGPN.