A POLICEWOMAN IN Spain has accused a colleague of harassment after he reprimanded her for taking a toilet break while on duty.
The 5-10 minute break reportedly happened because the woman, an officer with the Guardia Civil (Spain’s paramilitary police) who was on duty in a patrol car along with the officer who reprimanded her, was menstruating at the time.
The incident happened in Barcelona on 8 March, International Women’s Day.
Spanish news outlet El Pais reports that the woman faced a punishment of a two-day suspension together with a fine after being upbraided by her superior officer.
A witness to the dressing-down told El Pais that the officer, a lieutenant, asked the policewoman why she had abandoned her post at such short notice and then said: ”don’t tell fibs, you go to the toilet before or after patrol, not during”.
When the two officers returned to barracks following their shift, the woman was reportedly upset and requested a hearing with her captain in order to denounce the behaviour of her colleague.
The woman has now instigated her department’s protocol for alleged harassment at work.
The officer who reprimanded her, meanwhile, has said that she had disobeyed orders by failing to ask for permission before taking the toilet break.
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