Reactions and protests >>> Street protests >>> Spontaneous Protest At Forensic Medical Institute, 1 April 2004

On 18 March 2004 minor Madalina Dumitru, one of the victims of the abusive house searches, was forced to give an incriminatory declaration against Gregorian Bivolaru, declaration dictated by the prosecutors and signed by the frighten young girl in the absence of her lawyer or her parents. The next day she withdrew her initial declaration and filed another one, together with a complaint against prosecutors' abusive behaviour. The authorities ignored this declaration, so ten days later the minor expressed again her will to revise the initial declaration given under physical and mental pressure. The prosecutor rejected it and sent her, virtually detained, to the Forensic Medical Institute (IML) for a gynaecological and anal examination, against her will once again.

At the IML she was violently separated from her fiancé, from her chosen lawyer, and taken inside the building. After repeated requests her lawyer was allowed to join her, and both of them were sequestered there for over 4 hours.

Madalina's friends, alerted by telephone, came in a big number (about two-three hundred) in front of IML, and requested the abuses to stop and Madalina to be released. A significant number of armed forces - belonging to four different organizations, including to special forces for quick intervention - were displayed there in little time, and brutally ended this protest. Over 20 protesters (including foreigners) were taken by force to police stations where they were fined for “disturbing the public order”.

Although the protesters were peaceful, the intervention of the police forces was very brutal. Some instigators came in cars with fake registration plates, but the police simply refused to identify them, despite the request of the protesters.

fake registrartion number	normal registration number

After 4 hours of illegal detainment the minor and her lawyer were put into a police car, again by force, and taken to General Police Inspectorate. There the minor was again violently separated from her lawyer and taken by force by other police troops, who lied to the lawyer that “ Madalina's family is here to take her!

Related video:

Violent treatment against YOGA PRACTITIONERS in Romania - part 1 (4 min. 6 sec.)
Violent treatment against YOGA PRACTITIONERS in Romania - part 2 (2 min. 29 sec.)

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