WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Chicago police officers are unlikely to face any punishments for the abuse of prisoners’ rights, including cases of gang rape, at the Homan Square detention facility, community activist Andy Thayer told Sputnik.
"We are talking about a police force with officers that have committed gang rape on duty, notorious for other physical brutalities," Thayer, whose community activism has brought public attention to the constitutional rights violations at the Chicago police’s interrogation site, said on Monday.
"Should we really be surprised that a systemic violation of peoples’ rights to counsel should go unpunished?" he asked.
On Monday, the Guardian revealed in a report that the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has held about 7,000 residents at the secret interrogation facility at Homan Square against their will.
Thayer said he did not believe the lawsuits by themselves would accomplish much in achieving justice for the three individuals. However, he explained that revelations of systematic abuse that will be exposed at the hearings will motivate other citizens to come forward with more damaging evidence.
"[H]opefully, the lawsuits and info that is divulged… will in turn get regular citizens and residents of the city angry at [Chicago Mayor Rahm] Emanuel for systemic violation of peoples’ constitutional rights that the change we are looking at will in part come from due to that," Thayer said.
The CPD did not respond to Sputnik’s inquiries about their response to the lawsuit and allegations made in the latest Homan Square report.
