A Brazilian trans woman was attacked, last Wednesday (24), by four police officers, with batons and pepper spray, in Milan, Italy, reported the Italian press.
The case gained repercussions after a video recorded by a local resident at the time of the attacks went viral on social networks.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the case and the police have been removed from police rounds and transferred to administrative services.
According to Italian press reports, the episode took place last Wednesday. Footage recorded by a local resident showed four police officers hitting a woman with truncheons over her head and body and spraying her with pepper spray.
It is possible to see the woman raising her hands as she is attacked, before being placed on her stomach and handcuffed.
The woman was Bruna, a Brazilian, born in Fortaleza, transsexual, 41 years old.
In an interview with the newspaper Corriere Della Serashe said she was arguing with “five drunk Peruvians” who were insulting her, when she was placed in a police car by passing police.
She reported that she began to complain and thrash around in the car when the police stopped the car. “The boss said to stop the car and said, ‘Now we’re going to beat him up.’ He tried to grab my hair to pull me out, but I pushed him and ran away,” Bruna said.
She even said that she hid in a flower bed, but the police found her and began to attack her.
Bruna was taken away by the police and remained in custody for at least six hours. She said she received a visit from a representative of the Brazilian consulate.
“I raised my hands, asked them not to hit me. She was so scared. Now I want to sue them,” she said during the interview.
According to the newspaper La Repubblica, the Public Ministry of Milan is investigating the case. Prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano filed a lawsuit for aggravated damages for abuse of public office.
Milan Security Secretary Marco Granelli said: “A serious incident took place this morning against a person by some agents of the local police. Checks are underway to understand what happened and evaluate possible communications to the judicial authority and possible disciplinary measures.”
Granelli added that the agents involved were “detached for internal services” while the investigations continue.
The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, classified the episode as a “serious fact”, but stressed that a formal process is needed to take official measures.
“I don’t want to say inaccurate things, I’m waiting to read the report [da investigação]otherwise I would risk making a generic comment and I cannot,” he said.
The union that represents local police officers, Sulpl, denies the Brazilian’s version and claims that there was a complaint against her presence in the vicinity of a local high school.
Sulpl president Daniele Vincini said the police were called because Bruna allegedly harassed school children, and allegedly assaulted the police who intervened.
“The agents were forced to use the baton and the spray to take her away. We are on their side, including with our lawyers if necessary,” he told La Repubblica.
(Posted by Leo Lopes)
Source: CNN Brasil
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