HIGH COURT IN LONDON
Peruvian villagers suing Glencore for alleged police abuse
Santiago — Peruvian villagers suing miner Glencore will argue in the High Court in London next week that the company should be held liable over their alleged abuse by Peruvian police, the law firm representing them said on Tuesday. The allegations, to be presented in a 10-day hearing that starts on Monday, illustrates potential legal risks for mining companies that sign pacts with Peruvian police for the provision of security services. The lawsuit by 22 Peruvians said that Xstrata, acquired by Glencore in 2013, failed to take reasonable steps to prevent abuses by police in deadly protests at the Tintaya copper mine in 2012, said London law firm Leigh Day. Xstrata paid, fed and provided lodging for police and knew or should have known that Peru’s police tend to use excessive force, Leigh Day said. Glencore said Xstrata was not responsible for steps taken by the Peruvian National Police (PNP) in policing the protests and noted that the lawsuit did not allege that Xstrata or the mine’s...
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