Police officers accused of watchhouse prisoner assault

The officers have been suspended from duty and are expected to appear in Mareeba Magistrates Court on October 2.

Police tape

The charges against the officers include deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm. Source: Flickr

Two police officers have been charged after being accused of assaulting a prisoner in far north Queensland months ago.

The alleged incident involved a 23-year-old man at the Mareeba watch house, near Cairns, in January.

Police said the man was being held for property and assault offences at the time of the alleged incident.
A 51-year-old male senior constable was charged with deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm.

The other male senior constable - aged 43 - was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm.

"The QPS does not tolerate unlawful conduct by any members and takes these allegations very seriously," a police statement said.

"As the matter is now before the courts, we are unable to comment further."

The officers have been suspended from duty and are expected to appear in Mareeba Magistrates Court on October 2.
"In keeping with our commitment to high standards of behaviour, transparency and accountability, we have undertaken to inform the public when a member of the service faces serious allegations of misconduct," the police statement said.

"This does not mean that the allegations against the member have been substantiated."

It comes after footage was released in July of an Indigenous teen allegedly being forcefully detained by police in a Brisbane watch house.

The video published by ABC alleged the 17-year-old boy was struck with a baton and restrained by three officers after spending days at a watch house in 2023.

Queensland Police said the incident at Richlands, southwest of Brisbane, was investigated by the Ethical Standards Command following a complaint.
The probe found the officer's actions were "lawful and reasonable" and allowed all three officers to remain on the job.

Youth Advocacy Centre in April said it was considering legal action after accusing the Queensland government of failing to protect children in watch houses.

Contingencies allowing children to be kept in police watch houses and adult prisons were controversially passed by the Queensland government in 2023, over-riding the state's own human rights act.

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Published 5 September 2024 3:48pm
Source: AAP


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