Excessive Force and ‘Degrading Treatment’ Flagged in Scathing Melrose Prison Report

The Human Rights Commission has today denounced the excessive use of force by prison officers and police during incidents at the high-security Melrose Prison on 17 July, releasing an incriminating 14-page report that makes several recommendations.

The Commission’s findings point to “overwhelming” evidence and reveal a severe breakdown in protocol, suggesting an inclination to use force over methods of de-escalation and procedural justice.

It concludes that the decision to intervene, involving the Special Mobile Force and the Mauritian Police Intervention Group (GIPM), without following procedural steps, constitutes a grave failure.

Crucially, the report directly contradicts key claims made by the prison administration regarding the day’s events.

Inconsistencies Exposed

Surveillance footage reportedly refutes official statements on the scale of the incident, showing only around twenty inmates present, not the approximately 150 prisoners that officials had claimed were encircling another inmate to protect him following the seizure of two mobile phones.

Furthermore, the document states there is no evidence to suggest inmates offered any resistance following an initial incident involving two prisoners.

The Commission’s findings also note that claims concerning the presence of improvised weapons, referred to as “Pike Demon,” are not corroborated by video evidence.

Additionally, there is no official documentation to attest to the alleged seizure of the mobile phones.

‘Degrading Treatment’

The report also severely criticises the strip-searching of inmates conducted in an open space, which the Commission described as unjustified and amounting to “degrading treatment.”

In conclusion, the Human Rights Commission has issued nine recommendations, urging the authorities to implement them to better manage any future incidents similar to that of 17 July 2025.

The complete report:

Source: Defi Media