On Saturday, a police officer murdered his ex-partner, a teacher and city councilor, and her partner, a farm worker, before taking his own life in a town in the department of Canelones.

“Nothing justifies these outcomes. But we also cannot continue to ignore an increasingly evident reality: the serious shortcomings that exist in mental health, emotional support, and prevention,” the union’s statement points out.

“Often, suffering is endured in silence, without support, without resources, and without timely access to the necessary help.

And when society intervenes too late, the consequences are irreparable for everyone,” the statement stated. “There are victims, shattered families, and a deep-seated problem that needs to be addressed with seriousness, humanity, and genuine commitment,” Sipolna maintains.

It refers to the recurring “acts of violence that demonstrate the lack of tolerance, empathy, and poor frustration management increasingly observed in society at large.” The suicide rate within the Uruguayan police force is among the highest, with approximately twenty deaths in just over a year, surpassing the national rate, which is among the highest in the Americas.

Between 2019 and 2023, 100 police officers committed suicide (72 men and 28 women). Fifteen cases were recorded in 2025 alone, a rate 50% higher than that of the general population.

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