Albufeira security guard is first ever to be suspended in Portugal

A private security guard who attacked a man while on duty in a nightclub in Albufeira is the first ever to be suspended from this type of work in Portugal. Video footage of this appauling incident is below.

The PSP announced yesterday that, by decision of the Deputy Secretary of State and Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), the security guard has quite rightly had his professional title suspended and will be prohibited from exercising functions “until conclusion of the criminal inquiry and administrative proceeding”.

The MAI, states that “this was the first case of a private security guard suspended from functions, as a result of the application of the planned police measure”.

According to the PSP, he has received “partial suspension of his duties, allowed to continue in the security of premises but without permission to do so in places of public access, or that include contact with the public”.

The attack by the security guard, which took place in the early hours of October 3rd, was only publicised on October 9th, when images began to circulate online of an attack on a customer at a nightclub in Albufeira by one of the private security guards working there, witnessed by many people.

The images showed that, after around 30 seconds of aggression, two soldiers from a GNR intervention team entered the lub, at which time the victim (customer) was left inanimate on the ground by the aggressor (security guard).

After the images were released, questioned by Lusa news agency, the GNR general command said that two people had been identified – the aggressor and the victim – and that the victim had refused medical assistance.

According to the note released today, after viewing the images, the PSP, “in exercising its regulatory and inspection powers of the private security sector, requested information about the occurrence from the territorially competent security force”, in this case, the GNR.

The PSP also says that, on the 11th, it carried out “an extraordinary administrative inspection of the private security companies operating in the establishment where the attacks took place. From this inspection, all the information relevant to the event in question was collected and analysed, namely to determine the legal relations existing between the private security company and the nightclub, as well as the identity of the aggressor”.

In the statement, the PSP also says that, after analyzing all the information, it requested “the suspension of the activity of the private security guard who committed the attacks”.

The private security guard was notified yesterday of the administrative decision, which takes effect immediately.

“This administrative decision will remain until its review, or until the conclusion of the criminal investigation and the ongoing administrative process”, adds the PSP, which also appeals to all private security companies, as well as to their employees who exercise this activity, that they “comply with the applicable legal framework, in strict respect for the rights, freedoms and guarantees” of citizens.

WARNING: This security camera footage of the above incident contains scenes of voilence, which may offend or upset some readers. 

{mp4}albufeira_security_attack{/mp4}

Original article available in Portuguese at http://postal.pt/