The UN regrets the limited progress in the investigation of torture in Ecuadorian prisons – La Nación

2024-09-07 17:41:31

The UN Committee against Torture expressed concern on Friday about the limited progress in the investigation in Ecuador into alleged acts of torture and ill-treatment in the country’s prisons by law enforcement, prison staff or the military.

The Committee noted that the reported cases of torture and ill-treatment included: blows with sticks and metal cables, use of pepper spray, simulated drownings in water tanks or sexual assaults.

The ten experts of the Committee, chaired by the Mexican Claude HellerThey also received reports of acts against journalists and human rights defenders.

Harassment, intimidation and threats when reporting the actions of the security forces, inside and outside prisons.

The UN is concerned about the situation of prisoners in Ecuadorian jails

Experts called for a mechanism to be established complaint “independent, effective, confidential and accessible” in all detention centres in the country.

At the same time, he asked that the alleged victims, family members and witnesses be protected “against any risk of reprisals.”

In addition, the Committee denounced a overcrowding of almost half of the prisons, which they attribute to the punitive penal policy.

To the excessive use of the pretrial detention (more than 40% of the prison population) and the lack of penitentiary courts.

In the context of the state of emergency declared in the country between January and April 2024, the committee also received reports of excesses in the actions of the Armed forces in maintaining public security, including acts of torture, illegal detentions and alleged extrajudicial executions.

Meanwhile, juvenile detention centres have also received reports of measures of deprivation of liberty and isolation for offenders over 12 years of age for serious crimes and for other crimes in the case of those over 14 years of age.

In this regard, the Committee regrets the scant information provided by the State on alternative measures to deprivation of liberty applied to children in conflict with the law, the supervision by independent bodies of centres for juvenile offenders or the internal reporting mechanisms available.

The UN also spoke out on sexual violence in Ecuadorian educational centers

The UN noted the absence of mechanisms and services to investigate the “very high” rates of sexual violence in the Ecuadorian educational centers.

According to government data, there have been a total of 24,821 victims recorded in the last decade.

UN experts call for strengthening prevention and response measures to cases of child sexual abuse in educational institutions.

It also calls on all relevant authorities to investigate such abuses, ensuring that the perpetrators are prosecuted and punished. The report welcomes some positive developments regarding the situation in Ecuador, such as the adoption of a National Plan for the Eradication of Violence in the Educational Context. In addition, the reform of the Constitution establishes the imprescriptibility of sentences for crimes against sexual and reproductive integrity whose victims are children and adolescents.