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France Advances Police Misconduct Probes as Two CRS Held in Nice and Three Sarcelles Officers Face IGPN Inquiry

Rapid steps by prosecutors signal tight scrutiny of alleged abuse of authority.

Overview

  • Two CRS officers in Nice, placed in custody Wednesday, are under investigation for aggravated violence and aggravated theft after a video showed a young man being beaten in the Ariane neighborhood, the prosecutor said.
  • The footage, filmed by a neighbor and shared by the victim’s lawyer, shows kicks and hair-pulling and captures a voice saying “it’s us the police,” and the victim reports €100 and his driver’s license were taken.
  • In Sarcelles, the national police watchdog IGPN is probing three officers after a detainee reported being beaten while handcuffed and raped with a telescopic baton during custody, prompting a criminal inquiry by the Pontoise prosecutor.
  • The three Sarcelles officers had their custody lifted Tuesday after IGPN questioning, and other officers were heard as the probe continues, while the drug case against the complainant was dropped.
  • The parallel cases show how victim accounts and video evidence can trigger fast oversight in France, where the IGPN serves as the internal police watchdog.