Badge Of Dishonor: The Fight Against Police Impunity
Is the police force rotten to the core with racism and impunity? This investigation focuses on Switzerland, where five black men have died following interactions with the police in less than a decade. Michael was the latest black man to have passed away during an arrest in Lausanne in May 2023. Adding fuel to the fire, racist messages exchanged between officers on a WhatsApp group were brought to light. We followed the uphill battle of victims' families, like that of Hervé Mandundu, shot dead in 2016, in their quest for justice. The investigation sheds light on the shortcomings in police-led investigations on their own officers, calling their impartiality into question. Police oversight is made even more difficult because of the independence of cantons, guaranteed by Swiss federalism. For anti-racism activists, the entire system is much too lenient with errant officers. The Mandundu case, brought before the European Court of Human Rights, could set a precedent. But for many, the damage is done, and their trust in the police gone.
Related Titles
