Health Professionals in the Fight Against Torture

The "Essex Human Rights Review" has published a special issue on “Preventing Torture in the 21st Century” that includes an article written by IRCT professionals.

The article discusses the crucial role that medical and health professionals have to play in gathering information about torture, in documenting torture for legal purposes, in supporting and rehabilitating survivors, in preventing torture, and in prosecuting perpetrators.

The article's abstract:

"Medical and health professionals, especially working closely with lawyers, have a vital role to play in gathering information about torture, in documenting torture for legal purposes, in supporting and rehabilitating survivors, in preventing torture (including via providing training about helping torture survivors and documenting the evidence of torture), and in prosecuting perpetrators. Obtaining useful testimony from survivors of torture and other ill-treatment is a complex challenge: many survivors are reluctant or unable to talk about their trauma, and may even be re-traumatised by giving testimony, especially in court under cross-examination. Medical professionals have a crucial role to play in supporting survivors through this process and also in explaining the impact of trauma on victims’ ability to provide coherent, consistent testimony. The article also explores the challenges of conducting effective, sensitive forensic examinations to gather evidence of torture. Finally, the impact of the Istanbul Protocol is discussed in relation to the importance of its standards in gathering and assessing evidence of torture."

Read the article:

Health professionals in the fight against torture (opens an external page)

by Miriam Reventlow, IRCT Legal Advisor; Susanne Kjær, IRCT Project Manager, and Helen McColl, IRCT former Mental Health Advisor

See the entire publication:

The Essex Human Rights Review special issue on Preventing Torture in the 21st Century