E/CN.4/2001/66/Add.2 page 126 beating, he was reportedly held in detention for almost 24 hours and released with no explanation. He is said to have reported the alleged violence to the 8th district civil police station and to the corregedoria of the military police. There are believed to be two witnesses. No action has reportedly been taken in the case. 255. Francisca Alves de Souza and André Luiz Santos da Silva were reportedly arrested by three police officers on 2 June 2000 in Natal on the accusation of having stolen and hidden money. They were allegedly taken to the theft and robbery police station where they are said to have been beaten in order to extract a confession. Francisca Alves de Souza was reportedly verbally abused by the officers who allegedly beat her. According to the information received, they put a plastic bag over her head and almost suffocated her. She was allegedly beaten on her abdomen but she reportedly kept denying the theft. She was reportedly released on the same day. Several days later the police allegedly entered her house and took her to the police station, where she gave a statement regarding the incident. She is said to have made a report to the public prosecutor, who reportedly sent it to the corregedoria of the police. According to the information received, there has been no police investigation. 256. Ismail Ferreira de Oliveira reportedly went to the 3rd district police station in Natal on 25 May 2000 to report a theft that had occurred in his father’s house the previous day. His father allegedly reported the same crime at the theft and robbery police station. According to the information received, as he returned from the 3rd district police station on 26 May, the police officers from the theft and robbery police station stopped him and took him to their station. He was reportedly taken to an investigation room where he is said to have been ordered to remove his clothes and forced to confess to the burglary of his father’s house. According to the information received, the officers placed a protective lining on his wrists (so as to prevent any marks) and handcuffed him. He was reportedly forced to sit on a chair and had his head covered with a plastic bag. It is said that he was almost suffocated at least four times. He was reportedly strangled by an officer and lost consciousness. He was allegedly threatened by a police officer, who said that they would take him to a lake and beat him up and no one would be able hear his screams. He was allegedly released that afternoon. Afterwards he reportedly gave a statement to the public prosecutor who apparently sent it to the corregedoria of the police. The officers accused of the torture have reportedly not been punished. 257. Ubiraci Gomes da Silva, a 27-year-old man detained at the João Chaves Penal Colony in Natal, was allegedly beaten by police officers on 20 March 2000. According to the information received, there was an attempted break-out in the prison and the police officers mistook him for one of the escaped prisoners. As a result of the beating, he reportedly sustained two wounds to his left leg which required six and four stitches respectively. He allegedly underwent an official medical examination. The corregedoria of the police has allegedly been informed about the incident. 258. Emerácio Honório de Souza was allegedly arrested by a military police officer in Natal on 3 June 1999 under the accusation of smoking marijuana. According to the information received, he was taken to a police vehicle and beaten by three military police officers. It is said he was subsequently taken to a police station. He allegedly underwent an official medical examination which reportedly registered soft tissue lesions consistent with the allegations.