Harold Medina's family called for answers over his death in a cell at the Mossos d'Esquadra police station in Sant Boi de Llobregat, according to an account published by Directa about 13 months ago. Mossos d'Esquadra are Catalonia's regional police force.

The report said Medina's mother, Luz Marina, travelled from Bogotá after being told of her son's death. It said the police force's stated version was that Medina had taken his own life, while a duty court opened an investigation.

For Sant Boi residents, the case concerned death in custody at the town's local police station and the safeguards for people held there. Directa reported that the family had asked the court to establish what happened from Medina's arrest until his death.

Family said the inquiry had stalled

According to Directa, the family had joined the proceedings and was waiting for a toxicology report to be incorporated into the final autopsy. They said the court had not progressed other steps while awaiting that report.

The family said investigators should examine:

  • who was responsible for Medina's custody and welfare;
  • what monitoring measures were in place in the cell area; and
  • whether officers on duty, including those who found him, should give evidence.
“I only ask that they investigate what happened to my son, because they did not look after him,” Luz Marina told Directa.

Directa reported that family sources considered officers responsible for custody to have a duty of vigilance, and referred to legal precedents concerning possible omissions or negligence in comparable cases.

In a letter quoted by the publication, Medina's family and close circle called on public authorities to investigate promptly, establish responsibility and provide redress. At the time of the report, the toxicology result had not yet been incorporated into the final autopsy, according to the family.

Reported by directa.cat, Directa.

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