A young woman said that two police officers stopped her, allegedly took her phone by force, searched her personal photos, and asked for 3,000 lei to avoid “problems.”
Angelica Frolov, director of GENDERDOC-M, made the information public on March 19.
“Ten minutes ago, two police officers stopped a lesbian girl. I assume they knew about her, because they forcibly took her phone and searched through her photos. They found personal images and told her it is illegal to be homosexual and that if she didn’t want problems, she should give them 3,000 lei. The girl refused, saying it was a bribe. Immediately after that, the two officers hurried into their car and left. The girl is in shock; I told her to call 112 to report this crew,” Frolov wrote on Facebook.
The police responded to the allegations with their version of events.
“She was frequently looking at her phone while appearing to search for something on the ground, which raised suspicions about possible activities related to the use or possession of prohibited substances. In this context, the officers identified her and asked to see her mobile phone, which they checked briefly before continuing their patrol,” the Police said in a statement.
Law enforcement authorities added that the information circulating publicly does not reflect what actually happened and that the officers’ actions had no connection to discrimination against the LGBT community or any related issues.