Five police officers went on trial in Luxembourg City on Wednesday over the alleged assault of a detainee in Esch, with prosecutors arguing that the main defendant acted out of anger rather than self-defence.

In the ongoing trial over police violence in Esch, the public prosecutor on Wednesday requested six years in prison for the main defendant and four years each for the other four accused, along with fines. The prosecutor also called for the officers involved to be removed from their positions.

The prosecutor’s representative said it would be up to the judge to decide whether to uphold the charge of torture. The case centres on an incident in 2019, when the police officer allegedly struck the victim in the head while the victim was handcuffed and restrained by two other officers. The prosecutor noted that it appeared the victim had been intentionally turned for the blow and emphasised that this act should not diminish the severity of the alleged torture.

"I cannot imagine how someone can act in such an inhumane way", said the prosecutor’s representative.

The officers are also accused of pushing the victim into a police van like 'cattle’, pressing him in so that his feet could no longer stick out, the representative added.

The prosecutor argued that police officers are not expected to tolerate abuse while on duty – they should not have to endure being bitten or spat on. However, the use of force in this case was unjustified, she said, as the victim had not resisted at the time. It had been a routine shift involving the arrest of an intoxicated person, which may not have been pleasant, but the main defendant’s anger, she maintained, had no cause. He was described as having a low frustration threshold and as being “like a ticking time bomb”.

The prosecutor also cited aggravating circumstances, noting that the officer had been wearing reinforced gloves that were not part of the police’s official equipment at the time. She acknowledged, however, that the case may have exceeded the 'délai raisonnable' – the reasonable time limit for prosecution – which could count as a mitigating factor. His previously clean record, she added, could not be considered in his favour, since that should be expected of a police officer.

For the four other defendants, the prosecutor listed peer pressure within the force as a mitigating circumstance.

The lawyer for the main defendant described the incident as both a personal failure and a systemic one within the police. He read out an email from his client detailing his mental state since his pre-trial detention. The officer reportedly suffers from depression and says he is unable to plan for the future or sustain relationships. He had adopted a dog to take on some responsibility but avoids social contact because he feels uncomfortable around others.

“What I did follows me every day”, the officer wrote, “and I will regret it until I die”.

The trial is set to continue on Thursday at Luxembourg City District Court.