This is just one example of police brutality, where the victim went all the way (in the legal sense), that being to the UN Human Rights Committee.
Are the police really all about beating you
'senseless' ??? !!! ???
Just a reminder:
- Victoria Police are not there for your 'protection'.
- Victoria Police are not your 'friend'
- Victoria Police are not 'public servants' - they are employees of a corporation.
- You do not have to give any other information to police other than your name and address. Your date of birth is not required by 'law', even though they may claim so.
- You do not have to say anything else to police, meaning you have the right not to self incriminate.
- Police lie, produce false statements and witnesses in court without any repercussions.
- Record ALL interactions with police, with the added backup of to the 'cloud'.
- In your matter if the 'magistrate' errs in law obtain forms for a Judicial Review.
Horvath v Australia (HRC, 2014)
Violations:
ICCPR art 2(3)
Partially remedied
In 1996, 21-year-old Corinna Horvath was
assaulted by police during an unlawful raid on her Melbourne home. Her
nose was broken and a tooth chipped. She was hospitalised for 5 days.
In 2001, Ms Horvath won a civil case at the County Court. After 40
days of evidence, the judge found police had committed trespass,
assault, unlawful arrest and false imprisonment and awarded Ms Horvath
$143,525 in compensation. This amount was reduced on appeal and Ms
Horvath was denied leave to appeal to the High Court.
In Victoria, individual police officers, rather than the State, are
liable to pay damages for unlawful conduct. Where a police officer is
unable to pay, the victim can go uncompensated. Further, none of the
police involved has been disciplined or prosecuted by the State. Ms
Horvath seeks adequate compensation and effective discipline of the
police officers involved.
In 2014, the UN Human Rights Committee found that Ms Horvath's right
to an effective remedy was violated, in relation to the cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment, arbitrary arrest and detention to which she was
subjected, and the interference with her home and privacy. The
Committee recommended legislative reform in Victoria and adequate
compensation for Ms Horvath.
Partial remedy in record time!
On 19 September 2014, Corinna Horvath obtained an individual remedy
some 5 months after the UN found her rights had been violated and that
she should be compensated. Ms Horvath received a written apology from
the Victorian Police Commissioner and an ex gratia payment as
compensation for the violent assault on her by police in 1996.
Congratulations to Ms Horvath and her legal team. Thank you to everyone who campaigned for her right to an effective remedy.
However, there is more to be done. The UN Human Rights Committee
found that Australia "is also under an obligation to take steps to
prevent similar violations occurring in future" by means of law reform
"to ensure its conformity with the requirements of the Covenant."
Act on the Horvath case now: Sign this
super-quick letter to the federal Attorney-General and the Premier of Victoria.
The events in question:
Corinna Horvath and her partner, Craig Love, had friends David and
Colleen and their two boys over for a barbecue one Saturday afternoon in
1996. At about 9:40pm, two police officers knocked on the door wanting
to inspect her unroadworthy car for evidence it had recently been
driven, contrary to police instruction. Ms Horvath refused and asked
them to leave. A scuffle ensued, in which the police claim they were
assaulted by Horvath and Love, but a County Court judge found that
Horvath and Love had 'used no more force than was necessary' to prevent
the police trespassing on their property. The police left and called
for reinforcements.
At 10:30pm, 5 police cars arrived and 8 policemen got out and
surrounded the house. One of the police ‘yelled … in a loud and
aggressive voice’ that the occupants should open the door, as they
intended to make an arrest. The occupants refused, asking for evidence
of a warrant. The officer replied that they did not need one. One of
the officers then kicked open the front door ‘with great and sudden
force’, striking Ms Horvath's friend David in the face with the door,
causing injury and constituting an assault.
This same officer then entered the house, ‘pursued David … brought
him to the floor and, in the course of so doing, struck him on the right
side of the head and hit him at least once with a baton across his
lower back.’ Another police officer then informed the first that David
was not the man they sought to arrest.
The first officer then entered the lounge room where he tackled Ms
Horvath to the floor, then 'brutally and unnecessarily' punched her in
the face up to a dozen times, thereby 'rendering her senseless'. Ms
Horvath has no recollection of this assault. She suffered a broken nose
and chipped tooth, bruising and scratches to her face and body. Two
officers then handcuffed her 'in a manner that restricted her from
reducing the pain and blood flow from her nose or otherwise relieving
her injuries' and dragged her to their divvy van. Meanwhile, her friend
Colleen was forced to the floor and held there with a knee in her back.
Ms Horvath and Mr Love were both arrested and taken away by police.
Ms Horvath was 'not provided with immediate medical treatment' in
police custody, but instead 'left screaming in pain in [a] cell'. She
was 'eventually discovered by a police doctor who contacted her
parents', who called an ambulance. She was released from custody at
about 12:20am and taken to hospital for emergency treatment.
A week later, Ms Horvath returned to hospital and was admitted for 5
days, requiring surgery to repair her facial injuries. She is left with
scars on her nose and has been treated for anxiety and depression
arising from the assault.
Ms Horvath, admitted to hospital a week after the assault (photo by her mum)
You can obtain the pdf on the UN - HRC decision at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B21_coIgIYu2M18yTHdQYTZiSUU/view?usp=sharing
remedy.org.au
