Inmates reported assaults. Photo: Courtesy.
The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNP) denounced an alleged irregular action by the Penitentiary Agents Reaction Group (GRAP), which broke into the Villarrica Regional Penitentiary on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, in the early hours of the morning, with the alleged objective of carrying out a search.
The GRAP -composed of uniformed, hooded and unidentified prison officers- would have entered with shotguns loaded with rubber pellets, shooting at the ceiling and in some cases, to the body of persons deprived of liberty (PPL), providing punches, kicks, shoves and discriminatory and degrading treatment (including older adults and people with a disability), as reported by the Mechanism.
Based on complaints, the MNP visited the penitentiary on Friday the 20th and interviewed more than 100 people deprived of libertyin the different pavilions, who coincided in their account, confirming that the operation was carried out in the conditions indicated above, and that more than a requisition, said operation consisted of a “armed robbery”
The inmates were forced to go out into the courtyard, without clothes, with their heads bowed and under the prohibition to look at the members of the group. Meanwhile, the GRAP proceeded to search the pavilions, taking all the valuables: clothes, shoes and money. According to the interviewees, also they smashed televisions, appliances and other belongings. The events occurred while the prison officers and the director of the Penitentiary were present.
These types of operations have been implemented frequently by the GRAP, at least since 2020.
The NPM requested a hearing Minister of Justice, Daniel Benítez, to demand an end to the irregular actions mentioned, the attribution of responsibilities in this specific case and the punishment of those responsible, without prejudice to having sent a special report on these facts.
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The NPM also indicated that it understands the need to monitor the security conditions of prisons, however, it is certain that any operation must adhere to the principles of legality, proportionality, strict necessity, and accountability.
In addition, the NPM verified the living conditions of the PPL during the visit and found that, despite recommendations made in 2019 and 2022, the situation got worse, with more overcrowding (lack of beds/mattresses), fans not working, lack of medicines in the Health Department, insufficient and poor quality food. Given this, he sent the pertinent recommendations.
