According to a report published in the Chernihiv press on the results of their work in 2011, the police assert that only crooks, thieves and charlatans complain about them. In the report, entitled “The New Format Ukrainian Police: Results and Prospects” various statistical data are given showing positive results in fighting crime and reform of the police. Of particular interest is the information about complaints regarding human rights infringements by the police.

According to this information, there were 418 such complaints, with 12 alleging being beaten; 11 – unlawful search; 2 – unlawful detention; 16 wrongful prosecution; and 245 wrongful administrative charges.

Analysis of these apparently found 208 not justified at all; 125 were sent with material to the Prosecutor.

The Prosecutor’s Office in its turn refused to initiate criminal proceedings in 124 of these cases.  Only in one, with regard to the Special Forces Berkut unit, was a criminal investigation initiated. Not that this means that the one case initiated will get to the court.

With such staggeringly marvellous results, the police felt confident to assert that most people made complaints as a defence reaction on being accused of a crime, or to try to get out of being punished, to confuse the investigators and impede the process of finding out the truth.

Human rights groups estimate that every 40 seconds the police use violence against a person, and the use of torture by police is a never-ending problem.