Isaac Padrós, a Junts MP, has accused a National Police officer in Girona of discriminatory and humiliating conduct during his daughter's ID renewal. The complaint highlights alleged violations of civic rights and official misconduct.
A serious dispute has emerged at the La Jonquera police station in Girona after Isaac Padrós, a member of the Junts party in the Catalan Parliament, filed a formal complaint against a National Police officer. The incident centers on the renewal of his daughter's national ID, during which Padrós claims he and his family were subjected to hostile and discriminatory treatment by police staff.
According to the complaint, which was submitted to the Provincial Prosecutor's Office in Girona and accessed by Efe, Padrós and his wife allege that officers at the station may have committed several offenses. These include violations of civic rights, discriminatory denial of public services, abuse of moral integrity by a public official, falsification of official documents, and, as a subsidiary charge, coercion.
Padrós states that he and his family spoke exclusively in Catalan throughout the process. When they refused to switch to Spanish at the officers' request, police allegedly demanded their documents without legal justification and forcibly took Padrós's ID. The complaint further asserts that officers then issued a false report as retaliation after Padrós indicated his intention to file a formal grievance.
The document also notes that Padrós is visually impaired, which complicates his ability to quickly produce identification or read instructions. He claims this factor was disregarded by the officers involved. Another point of contention is the payment of the ID issuance fee for his daughter, despite the family's status as a large family, which should have exempted them from the charge according to Spanish regulations.
The case has drawn attention to ongoing tensions around language use in official settings in Catalonia, where the right to use Catalan in public administration is legally protected. Disputes over language rights and alleged discrimination have surfaced periodically, reflecting broader debates about linguistic and cultural autonomy in the region. Under Spanish law, public officials are required to respect citizens' language preferences in dealings with the administration, and failure to do so can result in disciplinary or even criminal proceedings. The outcome of this complaint could set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the future, especially regarding the treatment of linguistic minorities and the obligations of public servants.
