Local Police agent Toni Franco has filed contentious-administrative appeals before the courts of Tarragona against the City Council and the police chief. The official denounces alleged workplace harassment since 2018 and challenges a disciplinary file that resulted in a suspension of employment and salary.
Franco attributes his current situation of psychological distress to the mayor Montse Muñoz and the head of the Local Police, Antoni Dote. The plaintiff questions the dismissal of the internal protocol he activated and points to professional harassment, isolation, and discriminatory treatment as causes of his temporary incapacity.
Municipal defense denies moral harassment
The council rejects the accusations and clarifies the administrative status of the agent. The local administration states that Franco is not on official medical leave, but rather enjoying some days of statutory leave. This discrepancy over the employment situation marks the initial tension of the judicial conflict.
Montserrat Muñoz has asked for prudence while the open procedure lasts. The councilwoman defends that the executive's action is in line with a technical report that rules out harassment. This document concludes that the facts reported by the police officer do not meet the legal-technical criteria to define moral harassment in a downward modality.
"There is no documentary or testimonial evidence that allows attributing conduct comparable to an abuse of power to police commanders" - Montserrat Muñoz, mayor of the municipality
The councilwoman maintains that the sanctioning file scrupulously followed current legality. She recalls that the investigation of the case was external to the City Council to guarantee impartiality. The agent's appeal alleges violations of fundamental rights such as privacy, freedom of expression, and the right to defense.
The controversy over body cameras
One of the central axes of the lawsuit is the treatment of a recording obtained in 2024. The agent denounces the use of images allegedly captured accidentally by a police body camera (bodycam). This evidentiary element generates debate about the limits of internal control.
Muñoz defends these devices as a double guarantee tool. He argues that they legally protect officers during interventions and serve as a control mechanism against irregularities. Franco, with 35 years of experience in local forces and assigned to the municipality since the end of 2012, maintains his stance as a victim of institutional persecution.
Justice will now have to determine if there was a systematic violation of the official's rights or if, on the contrary, the municipal actions were confined to administrative and disciplinary normality.