Three Toronto officers charged in Spain back in Canada, suspended with pay: police

TORONTO — Toronto police say three of their officers facing charges in Spain have returned to Canada and have been suspended with pay.

The Mossos d’Esquadra police force in Barcelona confirmed Tuesday that three men were arrested for sexual assault and injuries after an incident in a taxi last week.

Several Spanish media sites had reported that three Canadian police officers on vacation had been arrested in the alleged sexual assault and assault of a sex worker in Barcelona.

Toronto police spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said Monday that three officers were charged in Barcelona while on vacation, without specifying the charges or confirming the Spanish media reports.

Sayer now says all three officers have returned to Canada and have been suspended with pay under the province’s policing act.

Sayer says the force is “exploring” the policing act and the legality of seeking suspension without pay, as police wait for more information from Spanish authorities.

Coun. Shelley Carroll, who chairs the Toronto Police Service Board, has called the reports from Spain “serious and troubling,” adding that public confidence in the force must be “continually reinforced.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2026.

The Canadian Press