This Barcelona case reports that six Mossos d’Esquadra received varied prison terms ranging from two and a half years to five years and one month for brutal assault, injury, and torture of the vehicle driver and a passenger. The officers intended to punish them for evading a prior police check. The court imposed lighter penalties than anticipated by acknowledging delays in the investigation process.
The ruling confirms that the agents struck, punched, and kicked the couple across the body, allegedly saying, “we can kill you and no one here knows,” and attempting to insult, intimidate, and humiliate them.
Bump with seat belt
The Seventh Circuit notes that the officers tore a heavy loudspeaker from the trunk of the crashed car and threw it onto the ground beside the victims to instill fear. They also cut and beat one of the car’s seat belts using the buckle. While the accused Mossos denied the attack and threats, the victims recounted the beating and ill-treatment in detail. The court described the actions as a completely free and unjustified attack, intended to intimidate and humiliate.
The events occurred in the early hours of April 23, 2016. Two defendants were conducting a citizen security check on Montclar Street in Cerdanyola del Vallès. Just before one o’clock, the officers stopped a vehicle carrying two people. The driver asked them to park in a permitted area and continued at 65 kilometers per hour, prompting a chase that ended when the car crashed into a concrete structure.
Handcuffed and on the ground
After the crash, two officers at the scene were joined a few minutes later by four more officers who were later convicted. The decision states that all six began insulting and beating the victims “by mutual agreement and with the aim of disturbing the drivers’ physical, psychological, and moral integrity.” The judges note that the two young men did not attempt to escape and did not resist; the assault began as they stepped from the car and continued while they were handcuffed and on the ground.
Physical and mental injuries
As a result of the actions, the victims — a waiter and a factory worker — sustained injuries across their bodies, including broken ribs, cracked teeth, and multiple bruises, alongside signs of anxiety. One victim experienced a psychotic episode with delusional ideas, believing a conspiracy between doctors and police tried to poison her. The court ordered compensation of 140,000 euros.
The court noted that the defendants’ statements, once arrested, were not exhaustive and contained contradictions, but were supported by substantial external evidence from reliable sources. A credibility assessment highlighted that both admitted some self-incriminating facts (including skipping the check, insulting officers, and smoking substances) and provided extensive details about the incident.
Undeniable injuries
The ruling adds that injuries observed by witnesses the same morning are indisputable. A Mossos report attributed the injuries to the car crash, but the judges rejected that explanation.
According to the judges, the officers were public officials who abused their positions, exceeding their duty to ensure public safety and to arrest those accused of disobedience. After the vehicle was seized, they allegedly used extreme violence to restrain the detainees and continued to inflict unjustified harm even when they were down and handcuffed. The punishment described extends beyond the physical to psychological harm, as threats of further harm and even death were alleged, with references to taser devices used during the ordeal.