Andorra Police Union Slams Conviction of Officers for Illegal Detention

Andorra's police union has voiced deep concern over a Tribunal de Corts ruling convicting two officers of illegal detention, calling for institutional reforms to address long-standing procedural ambiguities.

The Col·lectiu de Funcionaris de Policia d’Andorra (CFPA), the country's sole active police union, stressed that the officers acted in line with training and practices upheld within the force for nearly two decades, dating back to the 2005 Penal Code's implementation. During the trial, the agents maintained they followed established protocols, a point corroborated by other police structure members, according to the union.

The CFPA highlighted that prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges, citing an excusable error, which prompted subsequent changes to internal protocols for such situations. The union deems it unacceptable that interpretive discrepancies should burden individual officers alone, especially when the practice reflected a widespread police understanding that the escort in question did not legally constitute a detention.

The incident involved the two officers and a woman in pyjamas in December 2020. While respecting judicial independence and the first-instance verdict—regardless of potential appeals—the CFPA insists the case demands broader institutional reflection beyond individual accountability.

It proposes permanent communication channels between police leadership, the Batllia, and the prosecutor's office. These would involve regular meetings to scrutinise procedures prone to legal interpretation issues, pinpoint criteria differences, and swiftly update frontline officers.

The union clarified it seeks no privileges or impunity, but clarity, coordination, prevention, legal certainty, and shared institutional responsibility. Citizens expect a rights-respecting police force, it added, while officers require unambiguous guidance to uphold public safety effectively.