Miguel Ángel Suárez’s family, a 47-year-old man who died a week ago in the Elche police station’s cells, have raised more than 5,000 euros to fund a second autopsy. Details of the first autopsy remain unclear as doubts persist not only about the National Police but also about the judicial authorities handling the case. As of Saturday, the judge in charge had not yet released the body to the relatives, who expect to receive it in the early days of the coming week so a forensic expert can conduct a second examination to support the family’s claim that he suffered mistreatment at the hands of a police officer.
Llamamiento
After the family issued a call for community help to cover the procedure costs, since his widow could not bear the expenses, there were numerous acts of solidarity at the entrance of a Los Palmerales establishment. Neighbors from the district donated what they could and visitors arrived from other parts of the city such as San Antón. Friends and associates from towns like Elda and Crevillent also contributed funds, describing the act as a measure of justice. Those closest to Miguel Ángel say they are overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection. They recalled that many people knew him as someone who did not misbehave and was not a harmful presence in Elche.
Some sources indicate that the forensic autopsy conducted by the Forensic Anatomy Institute may not have been decisive, which could delay resolution by at least a month while awaiting results from samples sent to the National Institute of Toxicology that were sent to the court.
In the Forensic Institute
While all this unfolds, the body remains stored in a refrigerated chamber at the Alicante Forensic Institute. The district court handling the case, which was on duty that day, had not authorized the family to take charge of the body or proceed with burial, a step that would have allowed the testing to proceed. The family believes the deceased may have suffered police violence during the hours he remained under surveillance before being handed over to judicial authorities for alleged offenses against agents of the law. Two officers reportedly filed injury reports related to the arrest in the Los Palmerales neighborhood after he was asked for identification and reportedly did not have it on his person, according to family sources.
Miguel Ángel allegedly kicked one of the two officers, an action noted in the incident report, and resisted entering the patrol vehicle intended to transport him to the police station. The death occurred that night in the holding cell and was discovered the following day when an officer called an ambulance, though responders could not revive him after hours had passed.
The family says that after the arrest there was no mandatory call made to inform relatives of the detainee’s status, and they were not permitted to view the body, which provoked local protests in the neighborhood. The police station has issued no public statement while the case remains under secrecy, though sources told the press that the arrest was routine and that initial indications point to a possible heart-related cause of death.
Citations: local reporting and official statements summarized for context.