On Saturday, June 5th, a family from the canton of Vaud set off for Barcelona. The parents, who have to make ends meet on a meager income, want to be treated by a dentist friend in Spain.
However, the car trip comes to an abrupt end at 6.30 a.m. At the border with France, the mother is arrested by customs officers and handcuffed.
Interrogated for seven hours
The reason: Interpol considers the woman who works as a hairdresser to be a wanted person. Both the name and the vehicle would match the information that the authorities had about the wanted person, writes the «Tribune de Genève». The woman was held at the police station for seven hours and the car was confiscated: “I was accused of not having paid for the insurance for the license plates,” she says.
The officials are asking the woman to collect numerous documents about herself, her spouse and children by Tuesday and submit them for review. Even a deportation from Switzerland is said to have been discussed, the mother continues to tell the newspaper. In addition, there is a bill of CHF 1,328 that the family is supposed to pay for the confiscation of their car.
“Unfortunately not an isolated case”
Amazed by the allegations, the woman turned to the Vaudois Motor Vehicle Authority (SAN) in the next few days. So she learns that her vehicle was registered on June 8th by a SAN employee in the name of the wrong person. Only the person’s date of birth matches that of the falsely accused mother.
According to Daniel Meyer, the woman’s lawyer, this is not an isolated case: “Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a person has been arrested by the police due to an error in the SAN.”
Proceedings initiated – without necessary reviews
The press office of the Geneva police confirms the mistake. She admits: The proceedings against the woman concerned were initiated without first carrying out the necessary checks with the insurance companies or the competent authorities.
At customs: when someone goes on a trip
The reason: The checks can only take place during office hours, which in this case – on a Saturday – was not possible.
“For the time being, we relied on the information in our computer files for the procedure that was initiated,” the police continued. And: “In such situations you have to keep a cool head.”
The family officials cannot help with the open bill of CHF 1,328 for the confiscation of the car. Another office is responsible for this. (une)