CAT/C/39/2 page 65 “185. The Committee members observed that the protection of detainees during their arrest, pre-trial detention and detention is well provided for in the national legislation. However, serious difficulties arise in the implementation of the law. They also considered that the legal provisions in this area are generally not well known. This observation was confirmed when the President of the Supreme Court of Rio de Janeiro affirmed to the Committee members that the crime of torture constituted a federal crime. Due to his lack of knowledge of criminal law in this regard, the President felt uncomfortable with the discussion and abruptly interrupted the dialogue with the Committee members.” 276. The Ministry of Justice, through the National Public Security Secretariat (SENASP-MJ), has been implement short- medium- and long-term measures aiming at changing the culture of state police forces regarding the need to ensure the protection of detainees on occasion of their arrest. 277. As a short-term measure, SENASP held Human Rights Meetings to motivate, sensitize and mobilize multiplier leaderships in the human rights culture, in the context of public security, thus contributing to the formation of a National Culture of Human Rights and Duties, of active solidarity and social peace, and collaborating for the construction of a new police, conscious of its role in the promotion of human rights and peace. In four years, 2.480 professionals in the field of Public Security were trained in the states of Bahia, Paraná, São Paulo, Amazonas, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte and Sergipe. 278. Another initiative was the creation of an Itinerant School of High Studies in Public Security with the purpose of developing the conscience of operators in public security as citizens, promoting reflection on techniques of action employed in their activities, the enhancement of the professional character of police actions, incentive to sharing of responsibilities and integration of the action of all organizations related to the area of public security and the broadening of the responsibility of the police beyond strictly criminal issues. 279. A partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross was established in order to promote the training of police officers in human Rights, benefiting 1.030 officers. In 2006, the partnership was renewed with a view to work out the question of transversal teaching of human rights in the curricula of the federated units. In 2006 the First Inter-American Congress on Education in Human Rights was held with the participation of police officers, NGO representatives, professionals in the field of human rights and representatives of universities. 280. Quantitative and qualitative standards were established for the distribution of financial resources to the state public security Secretariats. It is important to stress that the qualitative standards include the concrete implementation by the states of policies of external control of the police activities, investment in continuing qualification, autonomy of corregedorias as well as public policies that enhance the adoption of principles of respect to human rights and a leading role for the police in such issues. 281. The crime of torture was included as a category in the classification of events in the National System of Statistics on Public Security and Criminal Justice.

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