Peru bans gay people from police

Page last updated at 07:06 GMT, Thursday, 14 May 2009 08:06 UK
Peru bans gay people from police
By Dan Collyns
BBC News, Lima

Peru has announced that it will ban homosexuals from the police force for damaging the image of the institution.

The law is one of several new regulations put forward by the Interior Minister, Mercedes Cabanillas.

Ms Cabanillas is trying to shake up the institution, which has a dismal reputation among the general public.

But critics say some of the new laws, especially those regarding sexual orientation or activity, are unconstitutional.

The law states that any police officer who has sexual relations with someone of the same gender will be indefinitely suspended from the police force.

The same applies to officers who have extra-marital relations - their actions are also deemed to cause scandal and denigrate the institution's image.




Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8049368.stm