Five Seoul cops indicted for torture

Prosecutors yesterday indicted five police officers accused of torturing criminal suspects to force confessions, a case that sparked public outrage over abuse of power by police.

The five officers, all belonging to Yangcheon Police Station in western Seoul, were arrested last month on charges of beating and torturing at least 22 suspects, mostly charged with theft and narcotic use, between last August and March of this year, according to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office.

Acting on the petition by the torture victims, the National Human Rights Commission took the case to the prosecution last month after it found evidence of police torture.

The petitioners claimed that they were forced to admit their crimes by having their arms handcuffed behind their backs and twisted by detectives.

The National Police Agency this week announced a plan to require police stations to videotape interrogations. Yonhap