Three off-duty Toronto police officers have been charged with sexual assault while on holiday in Barcelona, Spain, in a case that could intensify scrutiny on a force already reeling from public criticism.
According to Catalonia's regional police force, Mossos d'Esquadra, the incident occurred on the evening of May 13, when the three officers were traveling with a female sex worker in a taxi in the Ciutat Vella neighborhood. The officers allegedly tried to force the woman to have sex with all three simultaneously. When she refused, they became violent, hurling insults, threats, and beating her.
As reported by El Periódico de Catalunya, one officer in the back seat allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, while another punched her in the face, causing a laceration above her eyebrow that required stitches due to heavy bleeding. In response, the woman screamed for help through the taxi window.
When plainclothes Barcelona city police stopped the taxi and ordered the occupants out, one of the Canadian officers allegedly reacted violently, while another—believed to be the one who struck the victim—fled. Two were arrested at the scene, and a third was taken into custody on the morning of May 15 in Palma de Mallorca with the assistance of the Guardia Civil. One of the two arrested in Barcelona faces charges of sexual assault and assault, while the other was released on bail.
The arrests were first reported by local Barcelona media, which alerted Canadian outlets. Toronto police confirmed the arrests on May 18 but declined to answer why they had not proactively disclosed the Spanish-led operation. A Toronto police spokesperson called the allegations “serious” but said the force would not release the officers' names and would not comment further because the matter is before the courts.
The case comes as the Toronto Police Service—Canada's largest municipal force—faces major reputational damage from recent corruption allegations. Over the past months, at least eight officers have been charged in a large-scale probe, Operation South, involving bribery, aiding drug trafficking, leaking personal information to criminals leading to shootings, and helping organized crime plots to assassinate a corrections officer. None of the officers detained in Spain have been publicly linked to Operation South. The Toronto Police Association, which represents officers, said it was aware of the case but declined further comment because it involves off-duty conduct.
