El Ciudadano
Original article: Liceo de Chiloé denuncia “vejamen” contra estudiantes: acusa a Carabineros de exceder sus atribuciones y bajarles la ropa frente a sus compañeros
The Rayen Mapu High School in Quellón, Chiloé province, has reported a «humiliation» inflicted on two of its students by Carabineros officials, who are accused of exceeding their authority by forcing students to disrobe in front of their peers.
In an official statement, the institution under the Local Public Education Service (SLEP) of Chiloé indicated that the incident allegedly began on Monday, August 17, when a protocol outlined in the Internal Regulations was activated due to «suspicions of theft of a personal item belonging to a student.»
As a result, two students were identified as suspects and the presence of police was requested. However, the school’s administration has claimed that the situation led to a «serious offense» against the two students, as the police officers from Carabineros de Chile, «exceeded their operational attributes by searching the students’ bodies and severely violating their integrity, exposing them to humiliation in front of classmates and staff, exceeding all authority by inspecting their bodies and removing their clothing as a method of search».
Students Forced to Remove Clothing and Do Squats
The students’ council reported that during a class session, a student’s cell phone was lost, leading to two students being identified as main suspects, «without them being informed of any concrete evidence justifying such an accusation,» according to their statements.
After police were called, one student was reportedly instructed to «remove their hoodie and shoes» and was also asked to «lift their shirt in front of their classmates,» while the other student was told to «remove their pants, polyester, and shoes, and then do squats.»
According to the announcement, this procedure took place in front of «classmates, police officers, and staff present at the time.»
The student organization condemned both the exposure of the students and any prior actions that may have led to their identification and submission to this procedure without an investigation determining their responsibility.
Call for Formal Investigation and Respect for Student Dignity
They demanded, among other things, that the entire incident be formally investigated, «from the moment the cell phone was reported lost until the actions taken afterwards.»
They also requested that it be determined whether the police procedure was conducted in accordance with current legislation, that the dignity, physical and mental integrity, honor, and privacy of the involved students be protected, that these students be allowed to provide their account of the events, and that measures be taken to ensure a similar incident does not occur again.
The school’s administration strongly rejected the actions of Carabineros during the incident and indicated that they are in the final administrative process of investigating the students, parents, and staff involved in the situation to proceed with relevant complaints to the competent authorities, compiling interviews, statements, and evidence to clarify, identify, and define the responsibility of the police officials involved in this regrettable event.
They also committed to providing «all information to various investigative agencies and bodies both external and internal to our educational institution, to clarify and determine the different responsibilities that affect us as an Educational Unit that has served the community for over 40 years.»
La entrada Chiloé High School Alleges ‘Humiliation’ of Students: Claims Police Overstepped Bounds by Forcing Students to Disrobe se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.
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