Exclusive: ‘I Was Escorted Into Sliema Police Station And Beaten In The Middle Of The Night’
A man is alleging to have been picked up and taken into the Sliema Police Station in the dead of night where he claims to have been beaten by a number of police officers.
Giuseppe Pace, who lives in Marsaskala, is alleging that his head was slammed on a wall and he was kicked in the ribs. He says he has been left with bruises to his back, chest and arms as well as left with a large, round cut on the back of his head following the incident.
A police spokesperson confirmed with Lovin Malta that the allegations are being investigated.
Speaking exclusively to Lovin Malta, Pace detailed how he had gone out for a drink with some friends to a bar in Sliema until around 1.30am on the morning of Sunday, 4th September.
After the bar, located near the police station, closed, Pace says he and his two female friends left to go home, and shortly afterwards, police allegedly approached him and asked for his documents.
Lovin Malta is informed that police were initially called to the scene following reports of a public nuisance outside the bar after it closed.
“I didn’t have my ID card,” he said, recounting that he was then allegedly escorted to the nearby police station in Sliema.
Having been drinking that evening, Pace and his friends were inebriated, which he believes led to an escalation.
“I told them I was just walking home, and they started beating me, pushing me against the wall on the way to the station. I don’t remember if I spoke to them in a rude way, but I would have been stupid to start a fight with an officer.”
Saying he was escorted by two male officers, he recounted what allegedly happened as soon as he entered the station.
“As soon as I entered, people starting beating me. Someone kicked me three times in the chest, and I don’t know what they used to hit my head but it’s something with a strange shape, a boot or something… ” he claimed.
“I wasn’t understanding what they were saying, and I didn’t react to it, I just tried to defend myself, and my arm is bruised as a result.”
“As they were hitting and kicking me in the ribs and pushing my head against the wall, I asked: ‘what did I do?’ and they said I had assaulted them.”
After this, Pace claims he was taken into another room filled with desks.
“While I was there, another man came to try to keep me calm and secure, and I begged him to do something about the violence as that was not normal.”
“They acted like they were giving me a report… but I signed nothing. I left with a piece of paper with my rights written on it. As soon as I left, I immediately texted my friends and family to tell them what happened to me.”
While admitting he had a few drinks that evening, Pace couldn’t justify the use of such force on him.
“I just cannot imagine what I could have done to deserve this – if I had really offended them or assaulted them, they would have surely kept me there and filed a report. I would never do that to anyone, let alone an officer.”
The next day, Pace said his brother went to the Sliema Police Station to ask about what happened. During this visit, Pace says his brother saw the two officers who had initially brought him in following his description.
“But they just acted like nothing happened, and eventually, they left the office,” he recounted his brother telling him.
Pace went to the Paola health clinic to have his injuries certified. Lovin Malta has seen the medical certificate from this visit, which details at least one 5cm scratch, at least five abrasions, and several bruises across his body.
After the incident, Pace wanted to report the officers, but he was scared to return to a station, and even more afraid officers would cover for their own, especially since he was a “foreigner”.
“I don’t have a violent muscle in my body; I didn’t need five people beating me, one would have been enough.”
Though his scratches have healed, Pace remains traumatised by what happened.
“When I enter the police station I feel so scared now. I just went for a coffee and I saw an officer and i thought he was one of the two, and I panicked and crossed the road… even though it wasn’t even him…”
“I feel like they just ran into a drunk foreigner who had no ID on him, and they thought it was time to have fun. Unless I really tried to kill them, they should never be slamming heads into walls. In Italy we have stories like this too – but it is not right.”
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