REPORTS
Law & Order
Police Violence & Arbitrariness
Fundamental Rights
Rights of Ethnic Minorities & Vulnerable Groups
Shooting at Roma minors following a car chase
As described in a complaint submitted by the Panhellenic Confederation of Greek Roma, “Ellan Passe”, shortly after 12:00 on 29 January 2022 three police cars chased for about half an hour a car containing 5 Roma minors.
The group of youths had taken the car of the driver’s father, even though they did not have a driver’s license. When the car failed to stop when signaled to by police, the police initiated the pursuit, which only ended when the 15-year-old driver stopped outside his house.
When he stopped and opened the door to get out of the car, a police officer fired his weapon at him, but the youth fell and thus dodged the officer’s bullet, which went through the driver’s window.
In a state governed by the rule of law, the Police Authorities must be governed by certain principles, including the principle of legality, the principle of proportionality, the prohibition of abuse of police power, the prohibition of discrimination, and the respect for and protection of human rights.
The powers of the police authorities and the conduct to be displayed by them in the performance of their duties are regulated, inter alia, by Decree 141/1991 and Decree 254/2004. The rules and principles governing the use of firearms are set out, inter alia, in Act No. 3169/2003
Although the police may use force to enforce the law, this does not mean that all use of preventive or repressive force by the police is lawful. On the contrary, the arbitrary use of the power to use force, and police action in excess of legal limits is a dangerous phenomenon for a democracy.
In this particular case, the fact that police officers opened fire on the minors in question can only raise concerns about the legality of the officers’ conduct.
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