BARCELONA — Three off-duty Toronto Police Service officers were arrested in Barcelona on May 13 after being accused of assaulting a sex worker while on vacation. Spanish authorities were first alerted in the early hours of that day after a woman called for help from inside a taxi.

Plainclothes officers from Barcelona's municipal police force stopped the taxi and ordered its occupants out. One Canadian officer allegedly reacted violently while another ran away, and Spanish police arrested two of the three suspects at the scene. One was arrested on charges of sexual assault and causing bodily injury, while another was arrested for resistance and disobedience.

The third officer, who allegedly beat the woman, was located on the morning of May 15 in Palma de Mallorca after a chase, in cooperation with the Guardia Civil. The officers appeared in court on May 15. A spokesperson for the Catalan police said two of the officers were arrested at the time, a third fled, and one of those arrested has been released on bail.

The woman told police she was a sex worker who had previously arranged an encounter with one of the officers. She said things turned violent after she declined to participate in an unexpected "group act," and that the three suspects allegedly attempted to force her to have sex with them all simultaneously. When she refused, they allegedly became violent and began insulting, threatening and beating her, she told police.

One officer allegedly punched the woman in the face, causing a cut above her eyebrow that required stitches due to profuse bleeding. Spanish police said the victim sustained visible injuries to her face and was in a state of shock. She was transported to hospital and later filed a police report.

The Toronto Police Service confirmed the officers' arrests on May 18. The force did not release the officers' names and said it would not comment further while the cases were before the courts. The officers were on vacation and were not travelling in any official capacity. One of the officers was suspended upon returning to Canada, and the other two will be suspended when they return. "The allegations are serious," a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service said.

The Toronto Police Association said it was aware of the incident involving three of its members but provided no further details. "Given these charges relate to an off-duty incident, the Toronto police association has no further comment," the group said.