Walter Finch
OFFENDERS who assault police or emergency workers will have their maximum punishments doubled under new legislation being rolled out in Gibraltar this week.
The new bill aims to ramp up prison sentences for those who attack police from 12 months to 24 months, while expanding these protections to include firefighters, paramedics, and healthcare staff.
The Crimes (Assaults on Emergency Workers) Bill 2025 would also require courts to treat assaults on emergency workers as an aggravating factor in serious offences such as actual bodily harm, wounding, and sexual assault.
“This bill aims to deter assaults and ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions,” said Justice Minister Nigel Feetham, who published the legislation following consultation with the Royal Gibraltar Police and Gibraltar Police Federation.
The new offence does not replace existing laws regarding assaults on particular officers, but provides prosecutors with additional charging options when dealing with attacks on those serving the public.
Under the bill, protected workers include police officers, prison officers, BCA officers, Customs officers, fire services personnel, search and rescue workers, and GHA healthcare staff whose jobs involve face-to-face interaction with the public.
The legislation comes in response to growing concerns about violence against frontline workers, highlighted by an incident in January when three RGP officers were assaulted in Laguna Estate.
Officers were left with facial injuries requiring medical treatment after they were confronted by a man wielding a bottle while responding to a disturbance.
The situation escalated when several other individuals allegedly joined in the attack, resulting in four arrests, including charges of assault on police, violent disorder, and criminal damage to a police body-worn camera.
Following that incident, an RGP spokesman condemned the violence, stating: “It is appalling that three of our officers were assaulted whilst doing their job. Assaults on police must not be tolerated as simply being part of the job.”
The Gibraltar Police Federation has reportedly engaged positively throughout the drafting process and has indicated their support for the changes contained in the bill.
