POLICE QUESTIONING AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE: USING ADMISSIONS OF GUILT MADE TO THE POLICE AS EVIDENCE IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

as a general rule, in Spanish Law police reports have the same effectiveness as a simple formal complaint and thus may not be used in court. This rule also extends to statements made by suspects during police interrogation, which have no evidentiary value unless they are repeated by the accused person in the presence of a judge. However, there are still uncertainties about the admissibility and possible probative value of statements of a self-incriminating nature made exclusively to police officers.