Latest news with #militarypolice
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Welcome to Crackland – the stinking junkie town where crowds of zombified addicts light up as brutal clampdown launched
A BRUTAL police crackdown is underway in Brazil's notorious Crackland - the sprawling district dubbed the world's largest open-air drug den. Crowds of crack cocaine users, once a constant presence in the area, have vanished almost overnight following an aggressive push by São Paulo authorities to shut the zone down for good. 7 7 7 In total, more than 500 officers took part in a major late-May raid targeting the drug-infested zone officially known as Cracolândia. Led by Governor Tarcisio de Freitas and Mayor Ricardo Nunes, the latest operation has seen military police step up stop-and-search patrols, close down hostels used by users, raid dumpsters where dealers gather, and begin tearing down a nearby shantytown believed to be sheltering drug suppliers. Residents say the change has been immediate — and striking. 'I walked around for 10 minutes finding no trace of them,' bar owner Marcelo Colaicovo told AP after passing through the area on a recent May afternoon. 'Even the stench was gone.' Zombified streets For years, Crackland has been a symbol of Brazil's drug crisis. A grim city-within-a-city, its addict residents openly smoke crack in broad daylight, sometimes just metres away from college campuses and the city's main train station. By day, the streets were lined with men and women wrapped in filthy blankets. Some were as young as 13. Others were former professionals who fell into addiction. Inside 'Crackland' - a festering drug den plagued by murders and zombie addicts as model influencers peddle coke and meth 7 Many scavenged through bins for recyclables, trying to make a few coins to buy their next rock. Police long patrolled the edges of the zone, not to stop the drug use, but to try and contain the violence and robbery it often sparked. Addicts and traffickers moved freely between broken shacks, makeshift camps and budget hostels used as crack houses. A single hit could cost as little as a few cents, making crack dangerously accessible. Photos from the latest crackdown reveal a changed - but still unsettling - picture. In one image, an addict hunches over a crack pipe, flames flickering in the afternoon light. 7 7 In another, a homeless man lies sprawled across a pavement, unmobing. Uniformed officers stand watch nearby, frisking users and checking ID documents. Health workers in fluorescent vests approach addicts with clipboards, trying to offer help and an escape from the drug hell. Municipal crews in gloves and masks dismantle shanty homes at Princesa Isabel square, long seen as the epicentre of the crisis. The current clampdown also includes targeting the supply chain - a new tactic that sees police dismantling makeshift camps believed to house drug dealers just outside the main Crackland zone. Cycle of failure But critics warn the operation could follow the same failed pattern as previous efforts: a short-lived clean-up, followed by a slow return of users. In 2017, then-Mayor João Doria sent in 900 police officers with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades to break up Crackland. He declared it over — only for the "fluxo", the local term for the mass of addicts and dealers, to re-form a few blocks away within months. Felipa Drumont, a trans woman who has lived on the streets of Crackland, told The Guardian at the time: 'The police turned up throwing bombs at everyone. You don't eat. You don't sleep. Any money you can get goes on crack.' Francisco Inácio Bastos, a leading drug expert who conducted Brazil's national crack survey, said: 'What we see is a change of project every administration, without any continuation. 'It's all political. Without long-term planning, [Cracolândia] will continue as it is.' A national emergency Brazil has the highest number of crack cocaine users in the world — an estimated 370,000 in major cities. São Paulo's location at the heart of the country's economy, and close to cocaine-producing neighbours Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, has made it a key trafficking hub for decades. Crackland reflects the deep ties between poverty, inequality and addiction in Brazil. The state has tried social programmes, like 2014's 'Open Arms' initiative — backed by Prince Harry during a visit — which offered shelter and cash for small jobs in exchange for treatment. But the scheme was scrapped after criticism and lack of funding. Since then, 'mini-Cracklands' have emerged on the city's outskirts, with users scattering across multiple zones after each police operation — rather than disappearing. Still in the spotlight Crackland is not hidden. It sits in one of São Paulo's busiest districts, just blocks from concert halls, shopping centres, and the offices of South America's biggest newspaper. Office workers and college students rush past addicts lighting up in the street. The contrast has made the area a constant source of embarrassment for city officials — and a visible sign of failed drug policy. Despite the visible clean-up, few believe this latest effort will succeed where others failed. Without major investment in long-term treatment, housing, and employment programmes, experts warn the crackdown will only scatter the problem — not solve it. For now, São Paulo's most infamous junkie town lies quiet. But history suggests it won't stay that way for long.
CBC
21-05-2025
- CBC
Military police watchdog calling rare public hearing into alleged mishandling of suicide case
Social Sharing WARNING: This story contains references to suicide. The country's military police watchdog is launching its first public interest hearing in over a decade into an alleged negligence case involving a defence intelligence analyst in Ottawa who died by suicide. A complaint alleges military police may have played a role in the death of Master Corporal Shaun Orton in April 2024 by failing to conduct a welfare check sooner and delaying going into his home and performing first aid. "The allegations in this complaint are serious," wrote the watchdog's chairperson Tammy Tremblay in her decision to hold a public hearing. "If substantiated, they could amount to a failure to conduct a welfare check in an adequate and timely manner which could have potentially saved a life." It's rare for the Military Police Complaints Commission (MPCC) to hold this kind of public hearing. The commission said that despite repeated attempts over the past year, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal — an advisor to the military's top soldier on police matters — still has not disclosed information it requested about the case. A public interest hearing gives the watchdog the power to summon witnesses to testify and compel the military to disclose information, the commission said. Tremblay also wrote in her decision that this kind of hearing can ensure there's accountability and broader systemic issues about responding to suicides is addressed. Orton died after "the challenges of his youth and the demons of his past finally overtook him," his obituary says. He served in the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry including a tour in Afghanistan where he was involved in counter-insurgence operations, according to his LinkedIn. He later transferred to the intelligence branch in Ottawa as an advisor, his obituary said, and was part of a one-year tour in Kuwait with Operation IMPACT. That mission's aim is to build up military capabilities in the Middle East. Orton's wife filed a complaint with the watchdog last year saying she told military police on April 21, 2024 she was concerned about her husband's safety after receiving "disturbing communications" from him. The complaint alleges that military police "repeatedly dismissed her concerns" and when they finally agreed to check on her husband stood outside his house for 45 minutes before going inside, Tremblay's decision to conduct a public interest hearing said. The complaint also said when military police found Orton's body, they called civilian police who discovered Orton was still alive and began first aid, Tremblay's decision said. His wife told the commission that he was transported by ambulance to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Military police did not go to the hospital or notify Orton's wife about his death, she told the commission. The complaint also said military police misplaced Orton's suicide note and failed to collect other evidence in the house. Orton's wife also reported struggling to get information updates from military police. "She also noted that the military police detachment Commanding Officer sent a priest to provide her with support without asking her permission and even though she had made known that she was Jewish," Tremblay wrote in her decision. None of the allegations have not been proven in court. Orton's spouse also filed a complaint with the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal office in June 2024. The office closed the file without investigating and instead said it would be more appropriate to deal with it through an ongoing criminal investigation, Tremblay wrote in her decision. Tremblay sent a letter saying that a criminal investigation is not a substitute for an investigation into a complaint about military police conduct and urged them reconsider. But they declined, Tremblay wrote. The MPCC said it received confirmation in March that the military's criminal investigation was complete, but the forces still has not shared documents related to the case. The commission said in the past, the military cited the ongoing criminal investigation as a reason for not disclosing information. CBC News asked the defence department for the results of the criminal investigation and it's response to the allegations, but has not yet received a response. A date for the hearing which will be virtual has not yet been released.
Sky News
16-05-2025
- Sky News
'Toxic' army unit charged with investigating sex crimes allowing abusers to 'get away with it' in own ranks, whistleblower says
More than a dozen women came forward to report a staff sergeant in the Royal Military Police (RMP) for sexual abuse, but he was allowed to resign from the army instead of face charges. That's the claim of a whistleblower who served as a sergeant in the RMP for over a decade and says she was one of the man's victims. Amy, not her real name, says a "toxic" culture in the military police means sexual predators in the army are "getting away with stuff that they shouldn't be getting away with". It's a rare insight into life inside the Royal Military Police, the corps charged with investigating crime in the army. Amy described how the man who assaulted her would go into women's rooms and sit on their beds. She says he used to force her to go out driving with him at night and talk about sex. "He preyed on the young, new females that were in the unit," she says. "One day, I was out with my friends in town and he was on patrol... There were two of us that went over to speak to him and I had quite a low-cut top on. "So he hooked his finger around my top and pulled my boob out". She recalls as she tried to stop him, "he grabbed my hand and put it on his penis". She claims there are other men in the RMP who've been accused of sexual offences, recalling hearing of five separate allegations of rape against male colleagues by female colleagues. "If all of this sexual assault and bullying and rapes are going on within the military police, how can they then go out and investigate the wider army for doing the same things?" she says. "It doesn't work." 'He got away with it' Looking back on her career in the army is difficult for Amy. After leaving, she tried to settle back into life as a civilian with a new job and a young family to look after, but says she worried about bumping into former colleagues in the street. "It's taken me a long time to heal," she says. "I was very bitter towards my military career when I left, but I've had to sort of learn, build myself up again and remember the good times because they were really good times as well... I think it was just so bad at points." When she joined the RMP, she believed she would be part of a unit "representing how the rest of the soldiers should be conducting themselves". The reality, she says, was that she had become part of "one of the most toxic" corps in the army. She recalls being told that the staff sergeant she had reported for sexual assault would be allowed to resign. "They basically told me he's not going to be charged, but will be leaving the military... doing him a favour," she says. "He got away with it all," she adds. "He's not going to lose his pension and whatever else he would have lost with a dishonourable discharge. "He's left without a criminal record... that's not safe for civilians as well, because it's not even on his record." 'They investigate themselves' Earlier this year, an inquest into the suicide of 19-year-old Royal Artillery Gunner Jaysley Beck found she had been failed by the army after reporting sexual assault and harassment. Since then, Sky News has reported claims of widespread abuse and growing calls for investigations into sexual offences to be removed from the RMP and instead carried out by civilian police. 5:59 The Labour chair of the influential House of Commons Defence Committee is now urging the government to act. Tan Dhesi told Sky News: "The system needs to change... incidents of sexual violence and sexual assault should be dealt with not by the Royal Military Police but by civilian police and civilian courts. "I hope that the government will be making that substantial change in the very, very near future; in fact, they should do it ASAP." Since Gunner Beck's death, a new tri-service complaints team has been announced by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The change will see bullying, harassment, discrimination related service complaints dealt with by a team outside the commands of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. However, Amy believes investigations need to be done "completely separately from the military". "Otherwise it doesn't work because friends will be investigating friends," she says. "I think there's such a male-dominated space in the military still. Women have no chance... and it's not fair because people are getting away with stuff that they shouldn't be getting away with and allowed to continue doing it and ruining lives." She believes the entire system lacks accountability. "They investigate themselves," she says, even down to how the RMP is regulated. "The people that run that unit are RMP. They get posted in, do a few years and then get posted back out." 'I was told off for reporting it' Katie, also not her real name, served in the army for over 20 years. She saw active service in Afghanistan and rose to the rank of Captain. It was a distinguished career that was brought to a premature end by sexual abuse and whistleblowing. Having taken the difficult decision to leave the army she now leads a secluded life and suffers poor mental health. "I still struggle," she says. "I'm still very wary of men. My relationship is strained. "Everything seems like black and white now, like I live my life in black and white rather than full colour... As a person, it has changed my life forever." To begin with, she was in the same unit that Gunner Beck would join years later. She too experienced harassment and abuse, and says her line manager "laughed" when she reported it. "I just felt like dehumanised, I felt like property, I didn't feel like a person anymore," she says. "And so I would avoid people... I would hide in the garages, behind the tanks, in between the guns, just praying that these people hadn't seen me and I might be able to escape them for that day." She moved to a different unit but says wherever she went, abuse was rife. After being groped by a higher-ranking colleague, she assumed her chain of command would escalate her report to the RMP. Instead, she says she was "put in front of the Sergeant Major and told off". "I remember at the time saying I'd like to call the civilian police, and I was told that I wasn't allowed to do that and I'd be disciplined if I tried to do that," she said. "So I was so frightened." She stayed in the army, hoping to make a difference. As an officer, she began reporting abusers on behalf of younger victims. "I kept this goal in my head of reaching a position one day where I could help other women," she said. "When I got there, I realised that it was way more toxic than I could have ever imagined. "The officer corps were actually the worst perpetrators of all because they brushed it under the carpet. There was a will and a need more to protect themselves or their friends. Or the reputation of the unit first and foremost." She believes changes made by the MoD since the death of Gunner Beck to remove the chain of command from sexual abuse investigations will make "little difference", saying they'll still be carried out by "the same people, but just under a new title". 'They should be held accountable' An MoD spokesperson told Sky News that "unacceptable and criminal behaviour has absolutely no place in our Armed Forces". They added: "That is why this government is creating a new Tri-Service Complaints team to take the most serious complaints out of the chain of single service command for the first time, and has launched a new central taskforce on Violence Against Women and Girls to give this issue the attention it deserves. "We are also establishing an independent Armed Forces Commissioner with the power to visit defence sites unannounced, and to investigate and report to parliament any welfare matters affecting service life." Amy believes the RMP is not fit for purpose. "They have higher standards to uphold, yet they don't uphold them within their own regiment, within their own lives, and then they're expected to police and uphold those standards throughout the rest of the army," she says. "At the end of the day, they know the law and they should be held accountable for what they do."
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- Associated Press
Brazilian police arrest 4 suspected of quadruple homicide on a soccer pitch
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian police arrested three young adults and one 15-year-old who are suspected of killing four people during a shootout on a soccer pitch in the northeastern city of Fortaleza, authorities said Wednesday. The quadruple homicide occurred late on Tuesday in the same area where two sisters who were influencers were killed on May 1. Local media have reported a series of violent episodes in reaction to their deaths, including another shootout on a soccer field with no fatalities, a vandalized bus, protests and shuttered schools. Tuesday's victims were playing soccer when armed people invaded the pitch and fired dozens of shots, killing two on site. The other two later died from their injuries, local news outlet G1 reported. Military police later arrested three individuals aged 18, 19 and 22, with prior convictions for attempted murder, robbery and drug trafficking, the secretariat for public safety and social defense said in a statement. They now face charges of homicide, being part of a criminal organization, illegal possession of a firearm and corruption of a minor. A 15-year-old was also taken into custody. An investigation is underway. The secretariat said the military police will increase its presence in the area for an indefinite period. ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
