Our latest stories have followed the theme of police power. In three different countries we see members of the public being not only failed, but beaten and killed by the people whose job it is to protect them.
We began in the Balkans, where a human rights researcher interviewed migrants, refugees and asylum seekers about police abuse on the Croatia-Bosnia border.
Lydia Gall from Human Rights Watch interviewed 20 migrants and asylum seekers who had reached Croatia. Every one of them had been robbed of their phones and money by police. A pregnant woman and a disabled teenager were two of those who alleged they were subjected to police violence.
In the US, criminologist David Baker travelled to 16 states to interview the relatives of 43 people killed in police shootings since 2000. The families told David police are more focused on their own personal safety than that of citizens.
And in Italy, the death in custody of 31-year-old Stefano Cucchi has brought the abuse of police power under scrutiny. Sociologists say Stefano’s case is not isolated and ask what the country will do to clean up its policing.
Main image by Steve Rhodes
How one death in custody has become the symbol of police brutality in Italy
After losing her brother and enduring the subsequent trial, Ilaria Cucchi is now receiving harassment and online threats from police officers.
US police shootings: The stories behind the statistics
After touring the US to speak with the families of people shot dead by police, criminology lecturer David Baker shares his findings.
Why are police in Croatia attacking asylum seekers trapped in the Balkans?
Hearing increasing reports of police brutality against refugees on the Croatia-Bosnia border, Human Rights Watch is demanding action from Zagreb and the EU Commission.
