Accusations of torture have emerged from Augsburg-Gablingen prison as former inmates recount experiences of mistreatment and violence, including beatings and confinement in harsh basement cells. One ex-prisoner described being assaulted by staff while awaiting medical attention. Conditions reportedly worsened under the current deputy warden, who changed detention practices and was said to foster a hostile environment. Legal representatives have stated they take the allegations seriously, while the Justice Ministry has prohibited her from entering the prison.
Allegations of mistreatment have surfaced against staff members at the Augsburg-Gablingen prison, with inmates now coming forward to recount their experiences. Claims involve abuse and confinement in specialized basement cells. By Andreas Herz.
A former inmate, who prefers to remain anonymous, has shared his troubling story from his time at Gablingen Prison located in Augsburg County. One notable incident transpired while he was waiting to see the prison doctor.
The young man recounted experiencing prolonged nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. Before being permitted into the treatment room, an officer attempted to send him back to his cell. The inmate insisted on staying, stating that he had awaited a medical appointment for weeks. The officer warned, “Last chance,” but the inmate remained firm in his decision.
‘The officers continued to assault me’
The officer subsequently pressed an alert button. “Staff came rushing from all directions, and they started to beat me,” he described. They forcefully moved him onto a cot where he was restrained hand and foot. “Even after I was fully restrained, the officers continued to strike and kick me, including blows to my face and knees,” he added.
In severe pain and bleeding, he was confined to one of the so-called ‘special security detention rooms’ located in the prison’s basement. He reported being stripped of clothing and left completely naked, without even the paper underwear he was entitled to, surviving in this state for three to five days. “I lost track of time due to the constant darkness,” he said.
Prisoner recalls cleaning bloody cells
Over the weekend, a lawyer and a former prison doctor revealed the harsh realities faced by inmates in the basement cells. Another ex-inmate corroborated these accounts, stating that he had been assigned cleaning duties and had to scrub blood from the floors and walls of the specially secured cells. “On one occasion, an officer mentioned that a detainee had repeatedly jumped headfirst onto the floor, seemingly out of despair. Bavaria’s Ministry of Justice claimed that preventing inmate self-harm was a top priority, including ensuring proper clothing, bedding, and mattresses,” he recounted.
Alarmingly, the ex-prisoner’s accusations of violence correspond to a period before the current deputy prison warden, who has drawn significant scrutiny, assumed her role, indicating that such incidents were already occurring prior to her arrival.
The former inmates assert that conditions worsened significantly once the current deputy warden was in charge. She reportedly transformed an entire unit of standard cells into solitary confinement areas, colloquially referred to as ‘bunkers’ among inmates. Following her arrival, the available ‘bunker’ cells quickly filled up, and communal meal times were eliminated.
‘One supervisor responded: “Shut the hell up”’
Moreover, the staff’s behavior reportedly became increasingly aggressive and insensitive. One ex-inmate recounted an incident after he pressed the emergency button in his cell due to a mental health crisis. When he requested assistance, a female guard harshly replied over the intercom, “Shut the hell up and sit down.” When he approached the deputy warden, she dismissed his complaint.
The inmate described sending multiple complaints to the Augsburg district court while in his cell, receiving a response prior to the deputy warden’s tenure. However, after her appointment, he claimed that his complaints were ignored and suspected that she had interfered with the prison mail system to prevent his letters from being forwarded.
Lawyers firmly deny allegations
In light of the recent claims, Bayerischer Rundfunk sought comments from the Gablingen Prison staff and the deputy warden’s legal representatives. They expressed, “We take these allegations seriously and our client is fully committed to assisting the investigation to dispel these claims. All actions taken by our client in the prison adhered strictly to the law and were considered carefully in light of individual cases.” However, the Ministry of Justice in Bavaria has since restricted the deputy warden’s access to the prison.
Both former inmates have served sentences in Gablingen Prison for assault and fraud. Their sworn testimonies about their experiences can be utilized as credible evidence in legal proceedings.
This report highlights serious concerns regarding the treatment of inmates and the overall conditions within the prison system.
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Source: Midday in Swabia