The method of evaluating the results of police work is outdated and needs to be revised urgently. The opinion was voiced by ombudsman Anatolie Munteanu during the “Place for Dialogue” talk-show on Radio Moldova, IPN reports.
According to the ombudsman, renouncing the current mechanism of assessing the police's performance could reduce the incidence of torture. “It's a system inherited from the Soviet age, based of the percentage of solved crimes. Hunting for higher indexes, the law enforcing officers often commit serious violations, especially of human rights”, argued Anatolie Munteanu.
The public advocate thinks that Moldova must follow the experience of more advanced democracies that focus on the quality of investigation procedures. “In an age where technology has advanced so much, the sincere and willing testimony of the suspect mustn't be the main evidence in uncovering crimes. The police must rely more on scientific and grounded evidence, on laboratory analyses, etc.”, said Munteanu.
The ombudsman also wants the presumption of innocence to be respected more thoroughly. “I think the police and the mass-media must refrain from broadcasting information about potential criminals before a final ruling from the court. Even when the person was caught red-handed. The fundamental law guarantees the presumption of innocence for citizens and it must be respected. Even if journalists have noble intentions, confidentiality must be kept. It's a huge mistake when the public is offered personal information about the suspect. It's a serious breach of law, especially as the guilt of the person isn't proven yet”, concluded Anatolie Munteanu.
