Despite the testimonies and evidence of assaults by police officers, some even of a sexual nature against at least two minors, arbitrary detentions and other abuses, the undersecretary of security of the municipality, Mario Alberto Rodríguez, defended that the police of León, Guanajuato, acted in accordance with “protocols” and that there was always a decent treatment of the 22 women who were arrested after demonstrating.
Find out: Lion cops, Guanajuato, tortured and sexually assaulted teenagers
At a press conference, the official said none of the young women arrested at the weekend were injured, although they and organizations such as Amnesty International Mexico reported that the young women were even assaulted in tortured by the police.
“So far, in agreements with the reports of the doctors of the civic court itself, they suffered no injury,” said Alberto Rodríguez, who noted that on the day of the protests and the arrests he was personally supervising the operation.
Although journalists mentioned that there were male police officers in the operation, the official mentioned that only 83 female officers performed for a demonstration in which the undersecretary said about 100 young people, aged between 17 and 26, participated.
The Lion Police, defended, reacted on the day of the protest after the demonstrators began to assault them.
“The protesters were trying to hit them, they were trying to damage them, and that’s how we had to intervene, or the elements reacted, to avoid a tragedy,” he said.
“The free demonstration was always accepted at all times, as far as the policemates could have tolerated the aggression towards them,” he added.
The young women, when they were transferred to the civic court, she assured, were treated with respect. “Always respecting their physical integrity, and supporting them since they arrived at the civic courthouse, with medical, psychological care.”
The undersecretary reported that so far there is no lion police officer or element who has been suspended from office for the performance of Saturday’s protest, because there is no evidence to do so.
Marcela Villalobos, President of Amnesty International Mexico, accused the undersecretary lied at his conference on Monday:
The undersecretary of @Seguridad_Leon denies arbitrary arrests, physical and verbal violence against women and journalists and sexual abuse by police against women, including adolescents!
What a desire to be a shed in León to protect us like this. pic.twitter.com/vnEjDtGXYV
— Marcela Villalobos (@MarceVillalobs) August 24, 2020
What we do in Animal Político requires professional journalists, teamwork, dialogue with readers and something very important: independence. You can help us keep going. Be part of the team.
Subscribe to Animal Politics, receive benefits and support free journalism #YoSoyAnimal.
