08 Mar 2007

The human rights group Liberty today expressed grave concern at CCTV footage which appears to show a Sheffield police officer repeatedly punching a young woman pinned to the ground by three additional officers. Liberty called for an urgent investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said:

“These images turn the stomach and raise serious questions about police misconduct. The IPCC must investigate urgently in the knowledge that public confidence in modern policing and the police complaints system is at stake.”

Contact: Jen Corlew on 0207 378 3656 or 0797 3 831 128

Notes to Editors
1. According to an 8 March 2007 report in the Guardian the incident was captured in July 2006 when police responded to calls that a 19-year-old woman, Toni Comer, was engaged in vandalism outside a Sheffield nightclub. On 7 March 2007 she pleaded guilty to criminal damage but lodged a complaint to the police over her treatment.

2. According to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984, police can use reasonable force if necessary, for example, when acting to protect themselves from harm, to prevent another offence being committed and when an individual is resisting arrest.