Ombudsman: Special Report Reveals Violations by Police over Past 13 Years

Bratislava, March 31 (TASR) - An extraordinary report by the ombudsman on facts suggesting serious violations of fundamental rights and freedoms by the Police Corps reveals violations committed by the police over the past 13 years, ombudsman Robert Dobrovodsky, who delivered the report to Parliament, said at a press conference on Monday. Dobrovodsky stated that the tragic event in Kosice last year, when a homeless man died as a result of a police officer's action, had led him to create the special report, stressing, however, that the report doesn't point to political responsibility, nor does it draw criminal or disciplinary liability against police officers. "The report doesn't say that all police officers are bad, and the police should tone down their actions. I respect the Police Corps. By giving the police the only legal monopoly on violence, we have to ask who will guard the guards. They need to take a step in the right direction in their work," said the ombudsman, describing the report as a factual naming of actions, misconduct, and solutions. The ombudsman's report also documented, for example, a case of beating during questioning or a case of a person being held in a designated area with broken heels. The report contains legislative and non-legislative recommendations. The legislative ones consist of stricter laws on the use of coercive means. The non-legislative ones include the introduction of body cameras, reinforced and regular control of Parliament, the provision of interrogation rooms with audiovisual equipment, and regular training on the human rights aspects of the use of coercive means. am