PSP police announced the decision of the Deputy Secretary of State and Internal Administration, stating that the private security guard who assaulted a man in a nightlife establishment in Albufeira has had his professional title suspended and will be prohibited from exercising functions “until the investigation is concluded”.

In a response sent to Lusa agency, the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI) states that "this was the first case of a private security guard being suspended from functions, as a result of the application of the planned police measure" in the regime for the exercise of private security activity, whose latest changes came into effective in September 2019.

The suspension was related to an incident which took place during the early hours of 3 October and was known on the 9th, when images began to circulate of an attack on a client in a nightlife establishment in Albufeira by one of the private security guards of that space, a moment witnessed by many people.

The images also showed that, shortly after the beginning of the incident, which lasted about 30 seconds, two police from a GNR intervention team entered the space, at which time the victim was left inanimate on the ground by the aggressor.

After the images were released, questioned by Lusa, the GNR general command said that two people had been identified - the aggressor and the victim - and that the victim had refused medical assistance.

According to the note released today, after viewing the images, the PSP, "in exercising its regulatory and supervisory powers of the private security sector, requested information about the occurrence from the territorially competent security force", in this case, the GNR.

The PSP also says that, on the 11th, it carried out “an extraordinary administrative inspection of the private security companies operating in the establishment where the attacks took place”.

“From this extraordinary inspection, all the information relevant to the occurrence in question was collected and analyzed, namely that necessary to determine the legal relations existing between the private security company and the establishment, as well as the identity of the aggressor”.

The PSP adds that the private security guard has been notified of the administrative decision, which takes effect immediately.

"This administrative decision will remain until its review or until the conclusion of the ongoing criminal investigation and administrative process", adds the PSP, which also appeals to all private security companies, as well as to their employees who carry out this activity, to “comply with the applicable legal framework, in strict respect for the rights, freedoms and guarantees” of citizens.