Fury Grows as Lisbon Police Officers Are Accused of Raping Victims and Sharing Videos in Chat Groups

Two young Lisbon police officers face widespread condemnation after being formally charged with torture, rape, abuse of power, and other violent offences, amid allegations they filmed acts of abuse against detainees and shared footage with colleagues in WhatsApp groups.

Shock as Officers Accused of Torture and Sexual Violence

Two officers of the Public Security Police (PSP), aged 21 and 24, are being investigated by the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action of Lisbon following their arrest on 10 July last year. The indictment, filed in court by the Public Prosecutor's Office on 9 January, details multiple alleged offences committed over a short period.

According to prosecutors, the officers allegedly inflicted extreme physical and sexual abuse on detainees, including drug users, homeless individuals, and petty criminals, many of whom were foreign nationals.

Allegations of Beatings, Rape, and Humiliation

The indictment states that the officers subjected victims to 'punches, slaps, and blows to the head with their gun butts, even filming and photographing some of these situations and the respective victims'. In one instance, an officer allegedly used a baton to rape and beat a man before abandoning him in the street.

'The use of a baton... was reported in another situation, where a broom handle was also used,' the indictment adds. In a separate case, a detained man allegedly had a gun pointed at his head while both officers inflicted 'slaps to the face, punches to the head, and blows to the body'. Prosecutors say one officer cut off some of the man's dreadlocks and threw them in a bin as the other filmed the incident on his phone.

Disturbing Pattern Shared in WhatsApp Groups

Prosecutors claim the abuse was not isolated. Footage and photographs of victims were reportedly shared among WhatsApp groups comprising dozens of other police officers. The alleged behaviour is described as a 'repeated, cold and deliberate behavioural posture, marked by a lack of empathy and the conscious instrumentation of their position of authority'.

The indictment highlights that both officers were in the early stages of their careers when the alleged crimes took place, raising concern about policing culture and supervision.

Preying on Society's Most Vulnerable

The officers are said to have deliberately targeted some of the most vulnerable members of society. Victims included drug users, people experiencing homelessness, and foreign nationals, many of whom were detained for minor offences.

The prosecutor described the assaults as involving both physical violence and humiliation, including the destruction of personal property or forced degradation.

Outrage Mounts as Officers Face Multiple Charges

One officer faces 29 counts, while the other is charged with six crimes. Several other individuals were identified as potential co-perpetrators, though they were not formally charged.

The formal charges have provoked outrage in Lisbon, with human rights advocates and citizens expressing alarm at the alleged abuse, the alleged targeting of marginalised individuals, and the circulation of images among fellow officers.

Authorities Respond Amid Calls for Police Accountability

Portuguese authorities have confirmed that the officers are under investigation and have been suspended from duty. The Public Prosecutor's Office and the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action continue to examine the evidence.

Civil society groups have called for rigorous oversight and reforms to prevent future abuses and to ensure police accountability.