The Swedish Ombudsman of Justice (JO) directs severe criticism of the Police Authority in Dalarna, who forced a person suspected of a minor drug offence to leave a urine sample through a catheter.
Also there was coercive measure without any formal decision taken, which is being judged as totally unacceptable.
A person in the Swedish county of Dalarna (Dalecarlia) was suspected of minor drug offense. The police therefore decided that he should leave a urine sample, which he at the time could not produce. He asked for blood sampling as an alternate way, a claim that was refused. Instead the police let medical personnel insert a catheter in him in order to collect the wanted urine.
Disproportional action
According to the JO, a suspicion of only minor drug offense can not justify such far-reaching interventions, since the seriousness of the crime in no way is proportional to the action taken.
This incident has led to overall severe criticism of the Police Authority in Dalarna, ultimately its management, which has to ensure that police powers are exercised in formal accuracy and secure forms.
Link:
915-2012.pdf (146kb) (PDF-file in Swedish)