Judge dismisses 43 allegations of injuries by police on October 1

A Barcelona judge has dismissed the cases of 43 people who reported being injured by Spanish police in six polling stations in the city during the independence referendum held on October 1.

In most cases the police response was seen as proportionate, while in others there were no images of the allegations, or it proved impossible to fully identify the police officers concerned. Also closed were the cases of two heads who reported material damage caused by police to their schools, which were used as polling stations.

According to court sources, the judge ruled that on October 1 "the police officers received orders from the High Court of Justice of Catalonia to prevent the use of public facilities for holding the referendum."

The judge went on to acknowledge the "monopoly on the use of force" reserved for the security forces. "The use of force is legitimate whenever there is a justification for it and when it is carried out proportionally," concluded the judge.