Prevention of violence and torture

The documentation of torture and its consequences serves several purposes. It is crucial in court cases for victim compensation and the prosecution of perpetrators. Documented cases of torture may also contribute to illustrating the scope or type of torture used in a specific country or area. Civil society organisations may then use the information to effectively petition state authorities and others to address injustices. Documentation can also have decisive impact on whether an asylum seeker is granted asylum or not.

The documentation of torture is typically carried out by doctors, psychologists and lawyers. The collaboration between these professions is mandated by the Istanbul Protocol, an internationally acknowledged protocol containing guidelines on torture documentation. In accordance with the Istanbul Protocol, DIGNITY’s health experts work with DIGNITY’s legal experts to develop manuals on how professionals can identify torture survivors and document the torture.

DIGNITY also develops and implements training sessions for doctors, psychologists, monitoring authorities, and others who may meet torture survivors in their daily work. In rare cases, the medical doctors in the department conduct examinations of torture survivors themselves.

Example (National):

• Training on torture for the Danish Immigration Service. The training included the legal definition of torture, the effects of torture, external signs of torture, and things to be aware of when interviewing a torture survivor.

Example (International):

• Training of health care personnel, including forensic doctors, prison doctors and mental health professionals in Morocco on the identification of torture survivors, documentation of torture, and ethical and legal obligations pertaining to torture cases.
• Training of psychologists in Ukraine on documentation of torture and interviewing techniques when interviewing a torture survivor.
• Support to the improvement of procedures related to the initial medical assessments in prisons in Morocco as well as procedures related to documentation of death in custody.
• Active involvement in the development of the updated Istanbul Protocol. The process involved key UN persons and a number of civil society representatives from all over the world.
• Development of a documentation manual and a training curriculum for North African non-expert lawyers and doctors who may meet torture survivors in their daily practice

Regular monitoring visits to prisons and other places of detention is internationally acknowledged as an effective way to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The inspections can be conducted by different entities, for instance in relation to the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) which demands all signatories to establish an independent monitoring mechanism, called a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).

Human rights institutes and civil society organisations can conduct monitoring visits as well. DIGNITY’s health experts work to develop tools and manuals that can be used when monitoring health in places of detention.

We focus on the health conditions of those in detention, on the structure of the health care services and their functioning, and on factors in the institution which impact on the health of those residing there. This could for instance be the material conditions, the use of physical restraint measures, the nutrition or the air ventilation. Furthermore, we focus on ethical dilemmas in which health workers in prisons may find themselves.

The monitoring tools are developed on the basis of international standards such as the UN Mandela Rules and the UN Bangkok Rules, which are internationally acknowledged minimum standards on how to treat persons in prison.

We support the development of local guidelines, and we teach health workers and others with monitoring capacities on how to conduct effective monitoring of health in places of detention with the aim to prevent torture and ill-treatment.