Number of torture cases committed by policemen is increasing

In the first 8 months of 2006 the General Prosecution Office (PG) initiated penal proceedings against 105 policemen for torture and excess of force associated with violent acts. During 2005, the number of these kinds of cases amounted to 118. According to a press release of PG, of the cases investigated in this period, 39 were finished with charges and were sent to court. In 2005 this number was of 73 penal cases. At present investigations continue in 88 similar penal cases. The General Prosecutor, Valeriu Balaban declared at the College of the General Prosecution Office, that prosecutors submitted to the heads of subdivisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 877 notifications in the 1st semester of 2006 (1594 in 2005), however they are often ignored, being superficially examined with subsequent adopting of “modest” sanction decisions. The members of the PG College qualify as unsatisfying the situation regarding compliance with the legal provisions in the activity of the penal investigation bodies in light of preventing and combating the phenomenon of torture.