The Ministry of Justice has created a new elite unit designated to investigate killings of judicial and police officials.
The group, named GESPOL, has been designed to investigate specifically the assassinations of judges, prosecutors, permanent judicial police figures, and members of the National Police.
This excludes however, cases in which members of the police force are killed in armed conflict.
The new organization was presented by the Vice Prosecutor General, Jorge Perdomo, the Minister of Justice, Yesid Alvarado, the Vice Minister of Defence, Anibal de Soto, and the Chief of the National Police, Major General Jorge Nieto.
The Prosecutor General created GESPOL, claiming that homicides against these members of the state are considered “a threat to institutional stability and to society.”
The group is expected to offer effective investigative strategy, strengthen the institutional capacity to investigate, try, and punish such homicides, and to practice a methodological protocol with the cases.
Homicides will be treated with “identification, investigation and exemplary punishment of perpetrators, in a vigorous and effective way.”
“We want to analyze each of the cases that begin to present themselves in the future, and see if is required that they are investigated by this group,” said Perdomo.
The Attorney General Office is also concerned about recent claims of verbal and physical violence against members of the police force.
“The Attorney General wants to make clear that all of these cases are going to be tried and will face their ultimate consequences,” in the interest of the Colombian state, assured Perdomo
According to the vice Prosecutor General, 2015 has seen fewer cop killings than in 2014, when 120 deaths were recorded.
To date, 57 members of the police force have reportedly been killed in 2015; 13 in armed conflict, 8 in acts of service, and 36 are yet to be explained.
