果冻影院

Research on torture prevention in Chile is informing legal and policy reform to reduce violence against prisoners and hold perpetrators to account.

Since听2010,听Dr听Par听Engstrom听(果冻影院 Institute of Americas)听has been working with听human听rights organisations and local stakeholders in Chile on听measures听to prevent torture.听

鈥淭orture听has been used听in Chile听to quell political and social conflict鈥澨齟xplains Dr Engstrom.听鈥淪ince听the fall of the military regime in 1990,听reports of torture have declined, but听police听still听sometimes听violently repress听social protest听and the听authorities听have historically failed to prosecute听torture practices.鈥澨�

In 2014听Dr Engstrom听was commissioned by the听Association听for the Prevention of Torture (APT), a听non-governmental organisation based in Geneva,听to听conduct research for a global study on torture interventions.听听

鈥�鈥淢y research听is听designed to measure the effectiveness of a wide range of possible听torture听prevention measures听and so contribute to policy and legal reform to reduce the incidence of torture,鈥澨齢e explains

By interviewing and surveying key stakeholders, including听state officials,听he听looked听at听how torture and other ill-treatment in Chile,听has evolved in the past听25 years.听鈥淭his helped me to identify which torture prevention mechanisms were听working and how these could be听promoted and strengthened to prevent听further ill-treatment,鈥� he explains.听

Dr Engstrom听found that specific policy interventions, such as legal safeguards, independent monitoring and criminal sanctioning,听reduced听the risks of torture of vulnerable groups. He听went on to explore听how the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) could be implemented in Chile听and worked with a range of local stakeholders and the APT to听encourage reforms.听

鈥淚鈥檓 delighted that听we are now seeing concrete policy and institutional changes in torture prevention mechanisms in Chile,鈥� he adds.听

鈥淚n 2016 a new Chilean law defining the offence of torture was finally adopted and听through听APT鈥檚 advocacy and lobbying,听a听National Torture Prevention Mechanism听for Chile has been听agreed and is currently being implemented.鈥澨�听