Police irregularities in Tivat: Women brought to station without being told their rights

2026-03-12 - 07:37

Montenegro’s Ombudsman found irregularities in the actions of police officers from the Tivat Security Department during an incident in August 2025, involving two women brought to the police station in Donja Lastva for allegedly disturbing public order. The Ombudsman concluded that police did not fully follow legal procedures when bringing the women in, although the conduct did not reach the level of inhuman or degrading treatment. The women said they were sitting and talking with others in a public area near a sports field when police responded to a noise complaint. After a verbal exchange, additional officers were called, and the two women were taken to the station for questioning, while others present were neither identified nor detained. The Ombudsman identified several procedural problems, including no evidence that the women were informed of their rights before being brought to the station, the absence of a required report on the use of police authority, and inconsistencies in official documents and dates. Earlier investigations by the police internal control department found that two officers committed serious breaches of duty, while the Interior Ministry’s Ethics Committee concluded that their conduct violated the police code of ethics. The Ombudsman recommended stricter compliance with the law and human rights standards in future police actions.