French police cite 'mental exhaustion' as excuse in abuse probe

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Apr 2023 22:59

Investigators are looking into the harsh remarks made by members of the Motorized Brigades for the Repression of Violent Action (BRAV-M) when they detained young people participating in protests against pension reforms late on March 20.

Police officers brutally assaulting protesters during a demonstration in Lyon, central France, on March 23, 2023. (AP)

An internal report revealed that French officers who were caught on camera threatening arrested protesters reported being "mentally exhausted".

Investigators are looking into the harsh remarks made by members of the Motorized Brigades for the Repression of Violent Action (BRAV-M), a group of motorbike-riding Paris police officers, when they detained young people participating in protests against pension reforms late on March 20.

Members of the team defended themselves, attributing the error to exhaustion, in a report to their superiors, as per AFP.

One of them, Yann C., said as quoted by AFP, that he and his team had been on patrol since 10 am when the recording was made after 11 pm.

Another, Benoit A., described "shifts of 14 hours, even 16 hours" during the demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which includes increasing the retirement age from 62 to 64.

"Eating and drinking were complicated," he wrote, alleging that some officers took "medication" because they did not have time to go to the bathroom.

"We were physically and mentally exhausted," he said.

A 23-year-old Chadian student who accused the police of slapping him can be heard picking on the police officers in the recording, which was released by French media on March 24.

The cops made crude, sexist, and racial remarks, and one of them warned protesters that they better watch out or next time they will have to take "a thing called an ambulance to go to the hospital."

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said he was "extremely shocked by the comments" in the audio file.

The policemen caught on tape have been taken off duty, but they have not been suspended, as per Paris police.

The investigations are ongoing.

According to a source familiar with the matter who asked to remain anonymous, at least two additional BRAV-M police officers are being looked into for possible acts of brutality.

Since the government rammed the retirement measure through parliament last month without a vote, human rights organizations have accused French police of using excessive force during the pension protests that have been going on since January. The protests have also become more violent.

Activists and left-wing lawmakers have called for the BRAV-M to be dissolved, but Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin this week rejected that request.