Senior Consultant. Department of Psychiatry (Hospital Universitario La Paz – Madrid). Clinical Director of the SiR[a] Network for Assessment and Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence. http://redsira.psicosocial.net/Editor-in-Chief. Torture Journal. Official Journal of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT)https://tidsskrift.dk/torture-journalFormer Chair, Section of Psychological Consequences of Persecution and Torture, World Psychiatric Association (2015-2018).Forensic expert in national and international courts for victims of mistreatment and violence (since 1996). Litigation in European Court of Human Rights, InterAmerican Court of Human Rights, among others.
Editorial to 2023(2) issue, special section on survivor engagement in torture rehabilitation. In ... more Editorial to 2023(2) issue, special section on survivor engagement in torture rehabilitation. In this editorial, Pau Pérez-Sales adds a perspective based on historical experiences of organisational processes of victims of political violence and recover some of the lessons learned as contributions to the debate.
Introduction. The use of threats remains prevalentin law enforcement practices in manyparts of th... more Introduction. The use of threats remains prevalentin law enforcement practices in manyparts of the world. In studies with torture survivors,credible and immediate threats havebeen considered a distinctly harmful methodof torture. Notwithstanding this prevalence,there is a considerable degree of difficulty inlegally substantiating and establishing harmsproduced by threatening acts. It is also generallydifficult to clearly identify the harmsthat go beyond the fear and stress inherent(therefore not unlawful) in law enforcementpractices. We present a Protocol on Medico-Legal Documentation of Threats. The aimof the Protocol is to improve documentationand assessment of harms so that stronger legalclaims can be submitted to local and internationalcomplaints mechanisms.Methods. The Protocol has been developedbased on a methodology initiated by the PublicCommittee against Torture in Israel (PCATI),REDRESS and the DIGNITY - Danish Instituteagainst Torture (DIGNITY) involving:compilation and r...
To analyse forensic practices in the Attorney General's Office (previously PGR by its acronym... more To analyse forensic practices in the Attorney General's Office (previously PGR by its acronym in Spanish, and FGR at present), in the application of the Istanbul Protocol on torture and/or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Auditing of the fulfillment of 20 criteria (4 of good research practice, 16 of validity of the evidence documentation) through the analysis of 54 medical-psychological reports made by 21 doctors and 27 psychologists of the PGR/FGR. The reliability of the assessment instrument was excellent (kappa=0.89). None of the good practice criteria was respected in 38 of the 54 opinions. Nor were most of the 16 criteria on documentation of evidence of torture met. There are no quality differences in the protocols before and after the Prevention of Torture Act of 2017. The use of the Istanbul Protocol in the PGR/FGR is inadequate.
Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Special Issue in commemoration of the 30 years of the Tortur... more Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Special Issue in commemoration of the 30 years of the Torture Journal by the Editor-in-Chief, Pau Pérez-Sales.
Threats are a common feature of detention and interrogation settings and have long been regarded ... more Threats are a common feature of detention and interrogation settings and have long been regarded as a routine procedure. Despite their prevalence and propensity to amount to ill-treatment and torture, threats have not been systematically and thoroughly analysed in case documentation processes. Given a lack of understanding, threats have unduly been considered a form of “torture-lite” at best by some juridical actors. However, its effect as an instrument of coercion can be devastating – engendering states of fear and anxiety and forcing its subject to act against their will. There is an important lack of theoretical reflection on what threats are, what types exist and how they impact the survivor. In this editorial, we aim to partly fill this gap from a medical and psychological perspective, providing a framework of understanding that will hopefully improve conceptual and practical assessment, documentation and qualification.
Background Torture methods have traditionally been quantified using checklists. However, checklis... more Background Torture methods have traditionally been quantified using checklists. However, checklists fail to capture accurately both the almost infinite range of available methods of torture and the victims’ subjective experience. The Torturing Environment Scale (TES) was designed as a multidimensional alternative that groups torture methods according to the specific human function under attack. This study aims to do an exploratory assessment of the internal consistency reliability and discriminatory validity of the TES as part of a construct validity assessment in a sample of Basque torture survivors. Methods We applied the TES to a sample of 201 torture survivors from the Istanbul Protocol Project in the Basque Country Study (IPP-BC) to profile torturing environments in detention. To estimate the internal consistency reliability of the scale, categorical omega values were obtained for each subscale of the TES. To assess its discriminatory validity, the “known groups” method was use...
The internet was once seen as a new and definitive window to freedom and a world without torture.... more The internet was once seen as a new and definitive window to freedom and a world without torture. There is however, another less obvious but perhaps more notorious side: torturous environments can also be created through the internet; a place where individu- als may be targeted for discrimination, coer- cion or control.There is a dearth of academic research and theoretical developments in this very new area of knowledge and this Edito- rial will review and reflect on various aspects, thereby suggesting possible lines of research.
Sleep deprivation is one of the most prevalent and widely used methods of psychological torture. ... more Sleep deprivation is one of the most prevalent and widely used methods of psychological torture. Its effects on the body are without direct physical aggression and include significant somatic and psychological impacts and suffering. It is used in multiple coercive environments as a way, among other purposes, of degradation, debilitation, punishment or before and during the interrogation of detainees. In this specific context, it produces cognitive, emotional and physical exhaustion, with the aim of obtaining submission or compliance, and ultimately information or confession (Pérez-Sales, 2017; Reynolds & Banks, 2010; Sveaass, 2008). There is no universally accepted legal definition of what should be considered sleep deprivation in the context of torture. There are however converging positions from the legal and jurisprudential, and especially medical and psychiatric fields that allow for establishing sufficiently clear recommendations for the international community to take a reaso...
Background: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a method used in the context of interrogations aimed to obt... more Background: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a method used in the context of interrogations aimed to obtain submission, information and confessions. Its impact on producing false confessions has been documented. Even information obtained is true, it will be unreliable as it cannot be separated with what has been suggested by interrogators. The use of SD has been documented in the interrogation of detainees in Israel and two patterns can be identified: one incidental due to the conditions of detention set out here as secondary sleep deprivation (SSD), and one systematic, intentional and linked to continued interrogation, set out here as primary sleep deprivation (PSD). This paper aims to study the prevalence of PSD and SSD in a sample of Palestinian detainees, compare its usage before and after the 1999 Israeli Supreme Court judgment, and compare the impacts and outcomes of SD. Method: The study included a sample of 600 ex-detainees who answered questions related to psychological and coerci...
a<p>Indicates that the medicine represents a pharmacological class (similar clinical perfor... more a<p>Indicates that the medicine represents a pharmacological class (similar clinical performance).</p
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background. European countries apply a policy of deterrence of migrants in territorial and extrat... more Background. European countries apply a policy of deterrence of migrants in territorial and extraterritorial border areas. The authors apply the model of torturing environments, which has been already applied to other contexts where persons are deprived of liberty, to the situation of the reception center of Moria, on the island of Lesvos (Greece). Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the months of April and June of 2020. Personal interviews were conducted with 160 people (80 men, 80 women) from Afghan, Syrian, Somalian, and Congo backgrounds. The authors applied the Torturing Environmental Scale, which measures interpersonal violence, emotional distress, and legal safeguards. Results. The findings confirm the inhumane living conditions for the people sheltered in Moria, documenting the severe suffering of the population due to elements linked to basic human functions (hunger, thirst, hygiene, overcrowding, temperature, etc.), actions that produce fear and distress, acti...
Editorial to 2023(2) issue, special section on survivor engagement in torture rehabilitation. In ... more Editorial to 2023(2) issue, special section on survivor engagement in torture rehabilitation. In this editorial, Pau Pérez-Sales adds a perspective based on historical experiences of organisational processes of victims of political violence and recover some of the lessons learned as contributions to the debate.
Introduction. The use of threats remains prevalentin law enforcement practices in manyparts of th... more Introduction. The use of threats remains prevalentin law enforcement practices in manyparts of the world. In studies with torture survivors,credible and immediate threats havebeen considered a distinctly harmful methodof torture. Notwithstanding this prevalence,there is a considerable degree of difficulty inlegally substantiating and establishing harmsproduced by threatening acts. It is also generallydifficult to clearly identify the harmsthat go beyond the fear and stress inherent(therefore not unlawful) in law enforcementpractices. We present a Protocol on Medico-Legal Documentation of Threats. The aimof the Protocol is to improve documentationand assessment of harms so that stronger legalclaims can be submitted to local and internationalcomplaints mechanisms.Methods. The Protocol has been developedbased on a methodology initiated by the PublicCommittee against Torture in Israel (PCATI),REDRESS and the DIGNITY - Danish Instituteagainst Torture (DIGNITY) involving:compilation and r...
To analyse forensic practices in the Attorney General's Office (previously PGR by its acronym... more To analyse forensic practices in the Attorney General's Office (previously PGR by its acronym in Spanish, and FGR at present), in the application of the Istanbul Protocol on torture and/or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Auditing of the fulfillment of 20 criteria (4 of good research practice, 16 of validity of the evidence documentation) through the analysis of 54 medical-psychological reports made by 21 doctors and 27 psychologists of the PGR/FGR. The reliability of the assessment instrument was excellent (kappa=0.89). None of the good practice criteria was respected in 38 of the 54 opinions. Nor were most of the 16 criteria on documentation of evidence of torture met. There are no quality differences in the protocols before and after the Prevention of Torture Act of 2017. The use of the Istanbul Protocol in the PGR/FGR is inadequate.
Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Special Issue in commemoration of the 30 years of the Tortur... more Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Special Issue in commemoration of the 30 years of the Torture Journal by the Editor-in-Chief, Pau Pérez-Sales.
Threats are a common feature of detention and interrogation settings and have long been regarded ... more Threats are a common feature of detention and interrogation settings and have long been regarded as a routine procedure. Despite their prevalence and propensity to amount to ill-treatment and torture, threats have not been systematically and thoroughly analysed in case documentation processes. Given a lack of understanding, threats have unduly been considered a form of “torture-lite” at best by some juridical actors. However, its effect as an instrument of coercion can be devastating – engendering states of fear and anxiety and forcing its subject to act against their will. There is an important lack of theoretical reflection on what threats are, what types exist and how they impact the survivor. In this editorial, we aim to partly fill this gap from a medical and psychological perspective, providing a framework of understanding that will hopefully improve conceptual and practical assessment, documentation and qualification.
Background Torture methods have traditionally been quantified using checklists. However, checklis... more Background Torture methods have traditionally been quantified using checklists. However, checklists fail to capture accurately both the almost infinite range of available methods of torture and the victims’ subjective experience. The Torturing Environment Scale (TES) was designed as a multidimensional alternative that groups torture methods according to the specific human function under attack. This study aims to do an exploratory assessment of the internal consistency reliability and discriminatory validity of the TES as part of a construct validity assessment in a sample of Basque torture survivors. Methods We applied the TES to a sample of 201 torture survivors from the Istanbul Protocol Project in the Basque Country Study (IPP-BC) to profile torturing environments in detention. To estimate the internal consistency reliability of the scale, categorical omega values were obtained for each subscale of the TES. To assess its discriminatory validity, the “known groups” method was use...
The internet was once seen as a new and definitive window to freedom and a world without torture.... more The internet was once seen as a new and definitive window to freedom and a world without torture. There is however, another less obvious but perhaps more notorious side: torturous environments can also be created through the internet; a place where individu- als may be targeted for discrimination, coer- cion or control.There is a dearth of academic research and theoretical developments in this very new area of knowledge and this Edito- rial will review and reflect on various aspects, thereby suggesting possible lines of research.
Sleep deprivation is one of the most prevalent and widely used methods of psychological torture. ... more Sleep deprivation is one of the most prevalent and widely used methods of psychological torture. Its effects on the body are without direct physical aggression and include significant somatic and psychological impacts and suffering. It is used in multiple coercive environments as a way, among other purposes, of degradation, debilitation, punishment or before and during the interrogation of detainees. In this specific context, it produces cognitive, emotional and physical exhaustion, with the aim of obtaining submission or compliance, and ultimately information or confession (Pérez-Sales, 2017; Reynolds & Banks, 2010; Sveaass, 2008). There is no universally accepted legal definition of what should be considered sleep deprivation in the context of torture. There are however converging positions from the legal and jurisprudential, and especially medical and psychiatric fields that allow for establishing sufficiently clear recommendations for the international community to take a reaso...
Background: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a method used in the context of interrogations aimed to obt... more Background: Sleep deprivation (SD) is a method used in the context of interrogations aimed to obtain submission, information and confessions. Its impact on producing false confessions has been documented. Even information obtained is true, it will be unreliable as it cannot be separated with what has been suggested by interrogators. The use of SD has been documented in the interrogation of detainees in Israel and two patterns can be identified: one incidental due to the conditions of detention set out here as secondary sleep deprivation (SSD), and one systematic, intentional and linked to continued interrogation, set out here as primary sleep deprivation (PSD). This paper aims to study the prevalence of PSD and SSD in a sample of Palestinian detainees, compare its usage before and after the 1999 Israeli Supreme Court judgment, and compare the impacts and outcomes of SD. Method: The study included a sample of 600 ex-detainees who answered questions related to psychological and coerci...
a<p>Indicates that the medicine represents a pharmacological class (similar clinical perfor... more a<p>Indicates that the medicine represents a pharmacological class (similar clinical performance).</p
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background. European countries apply a policy of deterrence of migrants in territorial and extrat... more Background. European countries apply a policy of deterrence of migrants in territorial and extraterritorial border areas. The authors apply the model of torturing environments, which has been already applied to other contexts where persons are deprived of liberty, to the situation of the reception center of Moria, on the island of Lesvos (Greece). Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the months of April and June of 2020. Personal interviews were conducted with 160 people (80 men, 80 women) from Afghan, Syrian, Somalian, and Congo backgrounds. The authors applied the Torturing Environmental Scale, which measures interpersonal violence, emotional distress, and legal safeguards. Results. The findings confirm the inhumane living conditions for the people sheltered in Moria, documenting the severe suffering of the population due to elements linked to basic human functions (hunger, thirst, hygiene, overcrowding, temperature, etc.), actions that produce fear and distress, acti...
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