Indietro Council of Europe anti-torture Committee publishes report on Germany

The Council of Europe's Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) has published today its report on the fifth periodic visit to Germany in November/December 2005, together with the authorities’ response. Both documents have been made public at the request of the German Government.

The CPT received no allegations of recent physical ill-treatment of persons during their period of custody in police establishments. However, a number of allegations of excessive use of force by police officers at the time of apprehension were heard.

Particular attention was once again paid to the conditions under which immigration detainees were detained pending their removal. In this connection, the CPT welcomes the significant improvements made at the Eisenhüttenstadt Detention Centre, following its first visit to the establishment in 2000. However, the Committee severely criticises the conditions under which immigration detainees were held at Hamburg Remand Prison.

The CPT examined in detail the conditions of detention of juveniles (at Hameln and Weimar) and remand prisoners (at Halle), while, at Berlin-Tegel, it focused on the Special Security Unit (Besondere Sicherungsstation) and the Unit for Secure Placement (Sicherungsverwahrung). The Committee expressed serious concern about the level of inter-prisoner violence and intimidation observed at Halle and the two juvenile prisons visited.

The CPT also visited two psychiatric establishments, the Nordbaden Psychiatric Centre in Wiesloch and Neustadt Psychiatric Centre (psychatrium GRUPPE). At Wiesloch, the Committee noted striking improvements since its first visit to the Centre in 2000. However, at both centres visited, the frequency and seriousness of allegations of inter-patient violence and harassment in certain forensic units gave rise to particular concern.

Finally, in various establishments visited, shortcomings were found regarding the modalities of Fixierung (the physical fixing to a bed/mattress) of agitated inmates/patients. A number of specific recommendations have been made by the Committee on this subject.

In their response, the German authorities provide detailed information on the measures taken to implement the recommendations made by the CPT in the visit report.

The report (in English) and the response (in English and German) are available on the CPT’s website: http://www.cpt.coe.int

18/04/2007
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