In respect of Turopolije Correctional Facility, the report notes that juveniles held in
this facility were generally well treated and offered a good range of educational,
vocational and recreational activities. However, the CPT is critical of the practice of
placing juveniles in solitary confinement for periods of up to seven days as a disciplinary punishment, and of the ineffective complaints procedure.
The Croatian authorities respond to the various CPT recommendations and put
forward concrete measures to address them in a positive and constructive spirit. For
example, an extended range of purposeful activities will be developed for prisoners
and the status of prison doctors within the national health system will be resolved.
47. As regards the three psychiatric institutions visited, lack of living space and
access to the courtyard for patients at the Psychiatric Hospital for Children and
Adolescents in Zagreb is of particular concern to the CPT. The report also criticises
the administration of electroconvulsive therapy in front of other patients and the
absence of recording of the use of means of restraint. The report raises some concerns over the legal status of psychiatric patients in the light of the newly adopted
mental health legislation.
In their response, the Croatian authorities provide information on the action taken
to address the Committee’s recommendations, notably in relation to the transfer
of the Psychogeriatric department of Vrapče Psychiatric Hospital to a new building
and to the administration of electroconvulsive therapy in a dedicated room of the
Zagreb Clinical Hospital Centre.
Report and response published in October 2018
(CPT/Inf(2018)44 and CPT/Inf(2018)45)
Report on the ad hoc visit to Hungary in October 2017
and response of the Hungarian authorities
(immigration detention, “push-back” operations to Serbia)
48. The report notes that no allegation of ill-treatment by staff was received from
foreign nationals held under aliens legislation in any of the establishments visited. However, a significant number of persons interviewed by the delegation, on
the Serbian side of the border in particular, alleged that they had been physically
ill-treated (for example, kicked, punched or hit with a baton) by Hungarian police
officers in the context of their ‘push-backs’ to Serbia; several of them displayed recent
traumatic injuries which were consistent with their allegations. The CPT once again
recommends that all police officers receive a clear and firm message, emanating
from the highest political level, that any form of ill-treatment of detained persons
is unacceptable and will be punished accordingly.
The report highlights that in the context of ‘push-backs’, there was no procedure
which would assess the risk of ill-treatment following the forcible removal, and the
CPT recommends that the Hungarian authorities put an end to the practice of ‘pushbacks’ to the Serbian side of the border.
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