A forensic report into the death of a man held by police in Chile has confirmed he was tortured before suffering a heart attack. The man is believed to be the first person to die as a result of torture by the authorities since Chile returned to democracy eight years ago. A leading government minister confirmed that the circumstances surrounding the man's death were suspicious, as our correspondent Richard Collings reports from Santiago:

Fifty-five-year-old Raul Palma Salgado died whilst being held for questioning by police in the Chilean capital. A post mortem examination into the cause of death found he had multiple fractures and a broken neck, injuries his family says had not been sustained prior to his arrest.

The official government medical institute that carried out the examination said there was no doubt that the victim had been violently mistreated just before he died. An incident like this is highly unusual.

It's thought to be the first case of torture since Chile returned to democracy eight years ago. Over that period, the behaviour of the Chilean police has changed dramatically.

Officers are now generally held in high esteem by the public, despite the organisation's questionable human rights record during the 1970s and 80s. Whilst military leader General Augusto Pinochet was in power, over 3,000 people were killed by the armed forces, and several thousand more were tortured.

Government minister Belisario Velasco said torture was unacceptable in a democracy. He confirmed there were signs that the victim had been subjected to unnecessary force.