The Bishop of Port-Louis issued a statement to express his opinion on the videos showing acts of torture that are circulating on social networks. Cardinal Maurice Piat said he was “horrified by the torture inflicted by members of the police force on citizens who were in their custody”. He added that this violation of basic human rights plunges the population into a feeling of insecurity. Through the practice of torture, added Cardinal Piat, the police who has the duty to protect citizens, becomes a source of social disruption. He explained that no situation can excuse the transgression of these rights. Cardinal Piat asks that the culprits be severely punished and put out of action. He expressed his sympathy to the victims and their families, adding that these acts of torture do not only hurt the body of the victims but also undermine the dignity of a person, his family and ultimately the whole society.
Here is the full Statement:
Along with the population, I was horrified by the torture inflicted by members of the police force on citizens who were in their custody. This frightening violation of basic human rights by police authorities who are supposed to enforce the law, leaves the population feeling insecure. Through the practice of torture, the police, whose duty is to protect the citizens, becomes itself a source of social disruption.
In all circumstances, the dignity and fundamental rights of the human person must be respected. No situation can excuse the transgression of these rights.
We recognize that the police force also includes people of integrity who have a sense of duty and respect for the population. That is why it is essential that the perpetrators of such gratuitous violence be severely punished and put out of action. In this climate of anxiety, citizens expect the authorities to stand up for the values of the rule of law.
I am also thinking of the trauma experienced by the victims and their families and I send them all my sympathy. They need all our support, our friendship and our solidarity in their distress. This practice of torture by police officers not only injures the bodies of the victims but also the dignity of a person, his family and ultimately of the whole society.
Cardinal Maurice E. Piat
