Advertisement

Torture of Detainees in Mauritius “frightening violation of basic human rights”: Cardinal

Maurice Cardinal Piat of Port Louis Diocese in Mauritius. Credit: Diocese of Port Louis

By Jude Atemanke

Port Louis, 01 June, 2022 / 9:05 pm (ACI Africa).

The reported police torture of detainees in Mauritius is a “frightening violation of basic human rights”, the Bishop of Port Louis Diocese, Maurice Cardinal Piat, has said. 

In a Wednesday, June 1 statement, Cardinal Piat reacts to video recordings showing police torturing three handcuffed media. He expresses solidarity with the victims of torture and calls on Mauritian authorities to bring the perpetrators to book.

“Along with the population, I was horrified by the torture inflicted by members of the police force on citizens who were in their custody,” Cardinal Piat says.

He adds, “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 Mauritian Cardinal says, “the police, whose duty it is to protect citizens, become themselves a source of social disruption.”

Advertisement

He underscores the need to respect the fundamental rights of citizens saying that in all circumstances, “the dignity and fundamental rights of the human person must be respected.”

“No situation can excuse the transgression of these rights,” the member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) emphasizes. 

“(The) police force also includes people of integrity who have a sense of duty and respect for the population,” he says, and adds, “That is why it is essential that the perpetrators of such gratuitous violence are severely punished and put out of action.”

The Cardinal says that Mauritians expect their 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 extend my sympathy to them,” the 80-year-old Catholic Church leader says, adding that the victims “need all our support, our friendship and our solidarity in their distress.”

More in Africa

Nigeria

Restoring Ethics in Nigeria’s Education System among Benefits of Returning “taken over” Schools to Church: Bishop

Read the article

“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 of society,” the Cardinal who has been at the helm of Port Louis Diocese since February 1993 says in his June 1 statement.

Jude Atemanke

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.

Trending

You may also like

With the incense burned from the newly blessed fire, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, incenses the "Stone of Anointing," located at the entrance of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, where, according to tradition, the body of Jesus was anointed and prepared with aromatic oils for burial. March 30, 2024. / Credit: Marinella Bandini

"The mother of all holy vigils": Jerusalem Basilica is First Place to Announce Easter

In the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, the church of the Lord’s resurrection, the Easter Vigil is held on Saturday...

Credit: Port Louis Diocese

Culture, Lethargy among “barriers” to Environmental Protection Course: Mauritian Cardinal

The lack of energy and enthusiasm, culture and lifestyle are among the “barriers” to environmental conservation, the Bishop of Port...

Maurice Cardinal Piat, Bishop of Port Louis in Mauritius. Credit: Port Louis Diocese

On Memorial of “Apostle of Mauritius”, Blessed Laval, Cardinal Urges Closeness to Youth

On the occasion of the 181st anniversary of the arrival of Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval in Mauritius and the 158th anniversary of his...