Incidents of police brutality continue to rise and draw attention in other parts of the world, perhaps because the citizens in those parts are not yet desensitized. Canada, for instance, appears not far behind the U.S. in unnecessary violations. The policing attitude grows insidious in some parts of the UK and draconian in the land down under.
Speaking of Australia, a recent incident against a possible whistleblower officer highlights abuse that goes far beyond run-of-the-mill brutality. Not only is there evidence of a brutal beating, but also a cover-up and now an attempt to harshly punish the officer who may have leaked crucial video evidence.
Noa Begic, a 22-year-old, was beaten by officers while handcuffed in the Surfers Paradise police station basement in January 2012. Said officers had to lift Begic in order to load him into a police van, presumably for medical treatment. His only charges were public nuisance and obstructing police. Begic received a settlement, but that didn’t mean the truth about the brutal bashing ever surfaced until recently.
The four officers involved, including a senior-sergeant who is seen washing the blood away in the CCTV footage below, hardly faced any consequences at all. The same cannot be said for the Gold Coast Sergeant alleged to have leaked raw footage of the event.
Indeed, this summer, Sergeant Rick Flori, a 25-year veteran, was formally charged with misconduct in public office after being summoned to police headquarters in Brisbane. The department called the footage “inappropriately obtained.” The maximum penalty is seven years in jail. If that weren’t serious enough, his home was raided by Ethical Standards Command officers. This ongoing case has caught the attention and ire of Australians who won’t let it go.
Begic, who is still not fully recovered, said it would be disgrace of the person who exposed the beating were punished.
How can this happen?
Sydney Criminal Lawyers highlights this conveniently written code:
Section 91A of the Queensland Criminal Code 1899 makes it an offence for a public officer, including a police officer, to release information gained as a result of his or her office, or to perform or fail to perform a function of office, or to make an omission in abuse of the authority of office.
Prosecution must prove that the “act was done with the intention of dishonestly gaining a benefit for themselves or another person, or dishonestly causing a detriment to another person.” But what about the detriment of Begic and others like him?
For whatever reason this vaguely worded code went into effect, it should not prevent the pursuit of truth in any criminal case such as the shocking scene above. IF Flori really did send this footage to journalists, he should be revered as brave against corruption, not held captive as a threatening example to others who may wish to stand with him.
You’ll be glad to know that in Australia, he is considered a hero by the people whether he blew the whistle or not, as he stands accused either way. The Crime and Corruption Commission has launched an inquiry into the department, but it is the same body that did not discipline the officers involved in the abuse.
Council of Civil Liberties Deputy President, Terry O’Gorman, who lodged a complaint to the Crime and Corruption Commission said:
How is it that the police who were shown on the video as belting the crap out of this particular person have not been charged and yet the person who has leaked it is now being charged with an offence which could put him in jail?
However, it’s not over yet. Flori now faces other unrelated charges. He has countered with a case over travel reimbursement when he was compelled to relocate to another department, and then suspended. The main case has been adjourned to reconvene on September 18th.
Amanda Warren writes for Activist Post – see more of her articles here.
I have had a few cop beating and to be honest I deserved every one.
You are mistaken. An arrest for law-breaking does not include a beating. Beating or otherwise abusing the people they arrest is a violation of police ethic, and established law. It is punishable, and which results in punitive damages to abused persons, occasionally in firing and less often in imprisonment of guilty policemen.
Didn’t say it was legal…I said I deserved it. I am an anarchist and a social rebel…but I also know human nature and cops are just people, most are power pushing egoists and pretty stupid. That makes for a bad combination if you piss them off! Just say’n…
“I have had a few cop beating …” Yet you continue to act-out as you do? Don’t take this too personal but, what’s your I.Q.?
That depends on the severity of the beating. My dad was picked up years ago, taken to a police station, they stopped the elevator between floors and beat him so bad that they dumped in a ditch several miles from town, because they thought that they had killed him or had beaten him so bad that he was going to die anyways. His landlord wouldn’t even let him into his apartment, because he didn’t recognize him. All this was over some cops girlfriend that wanted to go out with my dad. He always blamed the strokes he had later in life was from that beating.
They were……
There are now cameras in lefts in police buildings…. Just to protect people taken into custody
You deserved apprehension and legal punitive action.
Your warped sense of values reflects improper socialization by whoever acted as your parents. The limited bit you reveal reminds me of a few “preachers´ kids with whom I had contact over the years.
Shoot back
No person, I mean NO PERSON, deserves to be hit, beaten, etc. by another person no matter the cause. Humane measures should always be used in any situation. Serving physical contact as punishment for whatever reason on another person should never be tolerated. I venture to guess all four of the law enforcement persons would not like to have been treated the way they treated their victim.
All I can say if that you are right about the 4 law enforcement officers would not like to get beat like that. I don’t know who you are, but you haven’t seen much carnage. There are some people out there that should be beaten and tortured to death slowly. Take for instance, you come home and find your two teenage daughters raped and beaten to death, someone in a mental institution uniform setting there cutting them up and you grab a baseball bat next to the door. I am sure you are going to take out your cell phone and call authorities. Then I am sure you are going to stand there until the police come and stop him. Then looking at his mental health uniform, you know he is sick, so they are going to lock him up again. Me, I would bash his head in and save the State all that money and time. What do you think?
What are you talking about, a completely different scenario to the issue at hand, wild & crazy generalizations, smh…
“…to release information gained as a result of his or her office, or to perform or fail to perform a function of office…”
It would appear that, in this case, those two clauses of this law are completely contradictory.
When the victim received a settlement, he should’ve hired a hit-man to take out the Police Puke Perps that did it to him!
“Good cop gets screwed by superior numbers” and in the police force too… Where are the public supporters for this man, or politicians with integrity (oops… thats right, there is no such thing) This man deserves to be well compensated for his stand including the threat of legal action against him and then offered a job that reflects his integrity and understanding of the value of proper policing… In the meantime the thugs (in uniform) prosecuted…
Do not ask why people run, do not ask why cops have to hide where they live, even judges know the same rotten cop could be waiting on the country club road tonight and pull the judge and his wife over for a minor cause. Fear gets the cops what they want.