CAT/OP/CYP/1 the detainee. Registries should be regularly inspected by prosecutors and by internal oversight bodies of the police and the penitentiary system, as well as be made available for examination by the national preventive mechanism. Failure to comply with provisions concerning the proper keeping of accurate registers should result in disciplinary measures. 23. The Subcommittee recommends that electronic registers be progressively introduced throughout the country and that the information contained in them be harmonized. The Subcommittee also recommends that a standard national database be set up and that the case-related information contained therein be updated systematically, as that would enable the authorities to track each detainee throughout the system more effectively. The Subcommittee suggests that consideration be given to rolling out such a harmonized approach to the courts and other parts of the judicial system. 24. During its visit, the Subcommittee received isolated allegations of ill-treatment from persons held in pretrial detention in police stations, especially in relation to the inappropriate use of handcuffing. The persons making the allegations felt unable to file a complaint, as a result of which the allegations were not duly investigated. 25. The Subcommittee reminds the State party that it must ensure that its competent authorities undertake prompt, thorough and independent investigations whenever there are reasonable grounds to believe that an act of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment has been committed and that all who allege having been subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment have the right to complain and to have their case promptly, thoroughly and impartially examined by the competent authorities. Steps should be taken to ensure that complainants are protected against ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of a complaint or any evidence given. Furthermore, the Subcommittee urges the State party to resort to handcuffing only when strictly necessary. 2. Limassol police station 26. The single-occupancy cells in Limassol police station are spacious but natural light is very poor and the physical and hygienic conditions of the in-cell toilets and communal shower blocks are not adequate. The material conditions in the cells used for holding juveniles are particularly poor, as they have inadequate bedding and lack pillows, allegedly for security reasons, although there is no evidence that the current state of the bedding is the result of a particular identified risk. 27. The Subcommittee recommends that the State party renovate the cells at Limassol police station in order to allow better natural light and ventilation. Special attention should be given to improving the communal toilets and shower blocks. Appropriate bedding, including pillows, should be provided to juveniles in detention. 3. Paphos police station 28. Detainees in Paphos police station, a newly built facility, are held in large cells with a toilet and a shower but without adequate ventilation or natural light. As the cells are almost soundproof and as detainees can remain locked up in them for as many as 22 hours a day, for weeks, the result can be oppressive and dehumanizing. 29. The Subcommittee recommends that the State party improve conditions of detention in Paphos police station by providing detainees with more time for exercise and recreational activities, including increased opportunities for interpersonal contact, especially for those in extended pretrial detention. The Subcommittee reminds the State party that police stations are not appropriate for prolonged pretrial detention. 6