PNG police shown in video using dogs in alleged attack on unarmed man
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Version 0 of 1. A video of alleged police brutality has emerged showing police dogs, held on leashes by their handlers, attacking an unarmed man in Papua New Guinea. Amnesty International has called for a full independent inquiry into the incident. The video which lasts just over a minute, begins with the man seated on patchy ground next to a road, in front of a police truck. He is surrounded by at least five men, three of them holding a dog on a leash. The dogs attack the man, biting at his limbs and back, dragging him along to ground. He gets up and moves away but is followed by the dogs and their handlers. A few moments later he gets free and runs. Amnesty’s Sara Saleh told Guardian Australia incidents of police brutality were “not uncommon” in PNG. In 2013, PNG supreme court justice David Cannings launched a human rights inquiry into reports of police assaults on more than 70 men in the one incident. It is unknown whether the unidentified man on the video sought treatment. “That’s why we would be calling on an independent investigation … so they can find out exactly what happened,” Saleh said. The video was uploaded to YouTube five days ago and published on the PNG Edge website on Tuesday. PNG Edge says the man is an alleged drug dealer. “This appalling incident raises serious questions about police brutality,” said Amnesty International’s Roseann Rife. “The Papua New Guinea authorities must act on this shocking footage and immediately initiate an independent investigation. Torture is unacceptable under any circumstances and those responsible must be brought to justice,” Rife said. “The seriousness of this incident is highlighted by this man’s humiliation and his screams of pain. It is difficult to watch.” PNG authorities could not be reached for comment. |