MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION : A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR NGOS 79 Comments Allegations of torture or ill-treatment received outside of or during visits and, in some cases, the visitors' observations, must be documented in detail. It is the medical specialists (of both physical and mental health) who must be put in charge of documenting the cases to be submitted for investigation by the competent services. The visitors can, however, be called upon to record allegations of ill-treatment. Allegations of torture or ill-treatment should be transmitted, barring any serious doubts as to their veracity, to the authorities responsible for investigation (administrative and penal), with the above-mentioned precautions regarding representations made in the name of individuals, and following a procedure which does not endanger the person concerned by the allegation. It should be noted that the burden of proof, i.e., the responsibility for establishing the truth of the allegation by means of an appropriate investigation, lies on the authorities in charge. Information to take down in cases of allegations of illtreatment: ■ full identity of the person; ■ date when and place where the allegation was noted; ■ detaining authorities; ■ date and place of ill-treatment; ■ authorities responsible for the ill-treatment; ■ circumstances of the ill-treatment; ■ witnesses of the acts; ■ description of the ill-treatment (what, how, how long, by whom?). 1