Back Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee publishes two reports on Romania

The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has today published two reports on its most recent visits to Romania, together with the responses of the Romanian Government. These documents have been made public with the agreement of the Romanian authorities. All the CPT's reports on the visits it has carried out to Romania to date are now in the public domain.

One of the reports relates to a visit carried out in October 2001, which focused on the situation of children placed in centres under the National Authority for Child Protection and Adoption and the State Secretariat for Handicapped Persons. In its report, the CPT points to major deficiencies in the provision of the basic necessities of life (food, heating, running water, clothing) and in the care of residents in the centres visited. The Romanian authorities describe the measures subsequently taken to secure the basic necessities of life in these centres. Moreover, they indicate that the children placed at the Negru-Voda Centre (region of Constanta) have been transferred to a modern family-type complex staffed with a multidisciplinary team. A decision to transfer the children placed in the Giurcani and Husi Centres (region of Vaslui) has also been taken.

The other report concerns two visits carried out in September 2002 and February 2003. While taking note that action has been taken to combat ill-treatment by the police, the CPT stresses that the authorities must remain vigilant in this area. Following the invitation by the authorities to revisit, in February 2003, the General Directorate of the Police in Bucharest, the CPT is pleased to note that significant steps have been taken to improve material conditions in that establishment. It points out, however, that similar improvements must be made without delay in all police detention facilities in Romania. The CPT also observes that efforts have been made to improve conditions of detention in prisons; overcrowding none the less remains the principal obstacle to providing decent conditions of detention.

In their response, the authorities highlight the renovation programme for police establishments. They also state that the adoption of new criminal and criminal procedure codes, combined with an increase in the number of prison places, has reduced prison overcrowding.

The two CPT visit reports and the responses of the Romanian authorities are available on the Committee's website: http://www.cpt.coe.int.

02/04/2004
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