Abuse of authority Zurich police officers deny allegations of violence in court
The police officers who had to answer to the Zurich district court on Thursday for abuse of authority denied all allegations. They denied having used excessive force during an identity check in 2021.
06.02.2025, 09:54
06.02.2025, 12:54
SDA
The defense pleaded for acquittal. The public prosecutor's office demanded a conditional fine of 90 daily rates of CHF 130 for the policewoman and CHF 170 for the four police officers. A probationary period of two years is to apply to the sentences.
The allegations date back to an identity check in Zurich in August 2021. According to the public prosecutor's indictment, when one of the accused police officers asked the teenager to identify himself, he laughed at the police officer's high-pitched voice.
"Furious and abusing his official authority", the police officer jerked the man forward and tried to ram his knee into the man's stomach area, it continues.
The injured party is said to have refused
Later, at the police station, the three other accused police officers allegedly acted in an "excessively violent" manner during an ordered forced inspection and a body search, according to the indictment. In addition, one police officer allegedly said that he should go back to Africa where he belonged.
The defense emphasized that the young man put up considerable resistance, behaved extremely aggressively and refused to be examined. They rejected all the accusations.
He himself was not present at the hearing. He could still make a written statement, said the district judge. The verdict will be announced at a later date.
