News Flash
Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee
publishes report on Croatia
Strasbourg, 01.03.2007 – 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 2nd periodic visit to
Croatia in 2003, together with the authorities’
response. These documents have been made public at the request of the
Croatian Government.
In the course of the 2003 visit, the CPT found that, although the number of
allegations of ill-treatment of persons in police custody was lower than during
the first periodic visit in 1998, police ill-treatment continued to represent a
problem. In its report, the Committee recommended that a high priority be given
to police training and that the fundamental safeguards against ill-treatment (in
particular, the rights of notification of custody, access to a lawyer and access
to a doctor) be considerably strengthened.
The allegations received during the 2003 visit of physical ill-treatment of
prisoners by staff at Osijek and Split County Prisons and Lepoglava State Prison
represented a disturbing departure from the generally favourable situation found
in 1998. The CPT recommended that the authorities deliver the clear message to
prison officers throughout the country that all forms of ill-treatment are not
acceptable and will be the subject of severe sanctions.
The report also contains recommendations aimed at combating prison overcrowding,
enhancing the provision of activities to inmates, improving the health care
provision and increasing prison staffing levels.
Hardly any allegations of ill-treatment of patients by staff were received at
Vrapče Psychiatric Hospital, and none at Nuštar Social Care Home. Material
conditions at these establishments were generally satisfactory, with the
exception of the forensic psychiatric and male chronic units at Vrapče
Psychiatric Hospital. As regards treatment, the CPT recommended an increase in
the range of therapeutic, rehabilitative and recreational activities; this will
require more qualified staff.
In their response, the Croatian authorities provide information on the measures
being taken to address the concerns raised in the CPT’s report.
The CPT's visit report and the
response of the Croatian authorities are
available on the Committee's website (http://www.cpt.coe.int).
- A "CPT Video-kit" is available for the audiovisual press. For more details
please access our page "For the press".
