Toll of Spanish police officers injured on referendum day reduced to 111

Spanish government initially put number of officers wounded during the operation to stop the vote at 431

Voters facing police officers on October 1 in Catalonia (by Carles Palacio)
Voters facing police officers on October 1 in Catalonia (by Carles Palacio) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

April 20, 2018 11:58 AM

The Spanish government has reduced the final toll of police officers injured during the October 1 independence referendum by more than 300 people. Immediately after the police operation to crack down on the vote, the Spanish Home Affairs ministry said that 433 police officers had been injured. But in an answer to a parliamentary question, the executive has now reduced the figure to 111, specifying that 10 had to ask for sick leave.

The 111 figure is also the official toll presented to the judicial authorities dealing with the independence case. Numbers by the Catalan Health Service indicate that they treated 11 officers for injuries, while the rest were attended to directly by the Spanish police force.

Catalan leaders are being prosecuted for violent rebellion for their role in the independence bid. Official figures from the Catalan Health ministry put the number of citizens injured during the Spanish police operation cracking down on the vote to around 1,000. A man lost his eye due to a rubber bullet, while another suffered a heart attack.