Three Canadian off-duty officers arrested in Spain over ‘serious’ allegations

Three Canadian off-duty police officers were arrested over an alleged assault of a sex worker during their vacation in Barcelona, Spanish authorities said.

One of the officers was suspended upon returning to Canada, the Toronto Police Service said. The other two officers will also be suspended when they return, police said.

“The allegations are serious,” Toronto’s police deparment wrote in an emailed statement to the BBC.
Toronto police did not release the officers’ names and said they would not comment further while the cases were before the courts.

“We can confirm reports that three Canadian off-duty police officers charged in Barcelona are employed by the Toronto Police Service,” the department said.

“The officers were on vacation and were not travelling in any official capacity.”

Spanish authorities told the BBC in an emailed statement that they were first alerted of the incident in the early hours on 13 May, after a woman called for help from inside a taxi.

When Spanish police arrived, they arrested two of the three identified suspects. The third officer fled and was arrested days later.

The woman told police she was a sex worker who had previously arranged an encounter with one of the officers. She said things turned violent, however, after she declined to participate in an unexpected “group act”.

She told police she was then insulted, assaulted and groped.

Spanish police said the victim sustained visible injuries to her face and was in a state of shock. She was transported to hospital and later filed a police report.

One of the Canadian officers was arrested on charges of sexual assault and causing bodily injury. Another was arrested for resistance and disobedience.

The third officer, who allegedly beat the woman, was located days later, after a chase in Palma de Mallorca, Canadian media reported. They appeared in court on 15 May.
By BBC News