Police apologise for using live snake to interrogate suspect

In the frightening video, some officers could be seen and heard questioning the handcuffed alleged phone thief, while a live snake is coiled around his neck, amidst threats to put the snake in his mouth.

The aim of the use of the live snake was to make the suspect confess to the alleged offence.

One of the police officers asked: “How many times have you stolen a mobile phone?”, and the suspect answered “Only two times”.

Local media highlighted the development, making the incident a controversial topic for discussion, attracting widespread condemnation from human rights activists and other well-meaning citizens of Western New Guinea.

Police apologise for using live snake to interrogate suspect Police apologise for using live snake to interrogate suspect Pulse Ghana

As the criticisms kept pouring in, the police thought it worthy to apologise for the act, but blamed the media for sensationalising the issue.

Local police chief, Tonny Ananda Swadaya is quoted as saying: “The snake was tame and not poisonous or dangerous, and the incident was their own idea, so they could get admission of guilt as quick as possible. We will work more professionally in the future.”

All in a bid to calm down agitations, a police spokesperson also told local news reporters: “We apologise for the incident. Institutionally we do not recognize such an unprofessional method of interrogation, and we guarantee that such an inhuman method will not happen again in the future.”

Meanwhile, according to odditycentral.com, human rights lawyer Veronica Koman said the use of live snakes is very common among police and the military in Western New Guinea, especially against the ethnic Melanesian people. She added that a snake was put in the cell of one of his clients, a Papuan activist, in January, to intimidate him.

Watch the video of the snake interrogation below:

Police apologise for using live snake to interrogate suspect

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