Reports of police sexual abuse being investigated in Chile
Students clash with riot police during a protest to demand that President Sebastian Pinera’s government overhaul the education system to guarantee free, quality public education for all Chileans, in front of La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago on June 28, 2012.
Police officials in Chile said they will begin an investigation into allegations that uniformed officers sexually abused student protesters last week.
The announcement was made after a meeting between Director General Gustavo González of the uniformed police, also known as carabineros, and three of the 10 students making the allegation, reported the Santiago Times.
"We have a deep concern whenever there is any indication that something seems irregular," said Director of Security and Public Order Alfonso Muñoz, according to the Times. "An official investigation has been dispatched immediately."
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Muñoz did not divulge the names or ranks of the accused officers "for the respect of those being investigated."
According to UPI, the lack of disclosure angered at least one of the students.
"The names must be made public. The people need to know the carabineros we have," said Ignacio Munoz.
The seven male and three female students said they were part of an occupation of a school about 50 miles south of Santiago when members of the police arrived and forced them out of the building, reported UPI. They were then taken to a police station where they said police made them strip naked. In a separate incident Thursday, carabineros that broke up a student strike were accused of sexually assaulting protesters.
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